s-^  y~v*  >r  r^/'~V*=*VI    TT^O 

BOY  SCOUTS 


iia 


IEUT. 


PAYSON 


All  the  time  the  trail  kept  getting  fresher. 
(Page  266)  (The  Boy  Scouts  at  the  Panama  Canal) 


THE   BOY  SCOUTS 

AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL 
By  LIEUT.  HOWARD  PAYSON 

AUTHOR  OF 

"The  Boy  Scouts  of  the  Eagle  Patrol,"  "The  Boy  Scouts 

on  the   Range,"   "The   Boy   Scouts   and   the  Army 

Airship,"  "The  Boy  Scouts'  Mountain  Camp," 

"The  Boy  Scouts  for  Uncle  Sam,"  etc." 


A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 
Publishers  New  York 


Printed  In  U.  S.  A. 


Copyright,  1913 

BY 
HURST  &  COMPANY 


MADE  IN  U.  S.  A. 


STACK 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTEB 

I.  BOY  SCOUTS  TO  THE  RESCUE    .     .     .       5 

II.  AN  ANGRY  FARMER      ...     .,     ,;    ...     .     16 

III.  ON  A  MISSION    .     .     .     .....     27 

IV.  SOME  UP-TO-DATE  ADVERTISING    .     .     35 
V.  A  BIG  SURPRISE      .     .     .     .     ;.,     .     43 

VI.  BASEBALL      ..........     53 

VII.  A  TEST  FOR  THE  EAGLES    .,     ...     66 

VIII.  SKILL  vs.  MUSCLE   ......     85 

IX.  FIRE!       ......     .     .     ,.     91 

X.  A  SCOUT  HERO        ......   100 

XI.  THE  FIRE  TEST       ....     ...     .   113 

XII.  IN  PERIL  OF  His  LIFE       .     -..     .     .   122 

XIII.  THE  ENEMY'S  MOVE     .     .,    „,    ..     .131 

XIV.  A  NOVEL  PROPOSAL      .     .     „     .     .   148 
XV.  OFF  FOR  THE  ISTHMUS      .     ,.     .     .156 

XVI.  SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  CANAL    .     .167 

8 


t  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAG* 

XVII.  AT  OLD  PANAMA     .......   181 

XVIII.  BETWEEN  EARTH  AND  SKY    „,     .     .   191 

XIX.  THE  GATUN  DAM    ...,.„.  200 

XX.  A  DYNAMITE  VOLCANO      ....  209 

XXI.     "RUN  FOR  YOUR  LIVES!" 217 

XXII.  THE  BOYS  MEET  AN  OLD  ACQUAINT- 
ANCE     ........  223 

XXIII.  ALONG  THE  CHAGRES    ...     .     ,..     .     .  232 

XXIV.  THE  TRACKLESS  JUNGLE    .     ...     ,.     .  241 

XXV.  A  CHAPTER  OF  ACCIDENTS      .     ,.     ,.  257 

XXVI.  THE  RUINED  CITY  .......  270 

XXVII.  "BE  PREPARED"      ,.     .,    ,..    ,.,    ,.     .  284 


The  Boy  Scouts  at  the 
Panama  Canal 

CHAPTER  I. 

BOY  SCOUTS  TO  THE  RESCUE. 

Farmer  Hiram  Applegate  had  just  finished 
breakfast.  For  this  reason,  perhaps,  he  felt 
exceptionally  good-humored.  Even  the  news  he 
had  read  in  his  morning  paper  (of  the  day 
before)  to  the  effect  that  his  pet  abomination  and 
aversion,  The  Boy  Scouts,  had  held  a  successful 
and  popular  review  in  New  York  and  received 
personal  commendation  from  the  President  failed 
to  shake  his  equanimity. 

Outside  the  farmhouse  the  spring  sun  shone 
bright  and  warm.  The  air  was  crisp,  and  odorous 
with  the  scent  of  apple  blossoms.  Robins  twit- 

5 


*  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

tered  cheerily,  hens  clucked  and  now  and  then  a 
blue  bird  flashed  among  the  orchard  trees. 

As  Hiram  stepped  out  on  his  "vendetta,"  as  he 
called  his  verandah — or,  to  use  the  old-fashioned 
word  and  the  better  one,  "porch" — he  was  joined 
by  a  rather  heavy-set  youth  with  small,  shifty 
eyes  and  a  sallow  skin  which  gave  the  impression 
of  languishing  for  soap  and  water.  A  suit  of 
loud  pattern,  new  yellow  boots  with  "nobby"  toes, 
and  a  gaudy  necktie  did  not  add  to  young  Jared 
Applegate's  general  appearance. 

"Pop,"  he  began,  after  a  glance  at  the  old 
man's  crabbed  and  wrinkled  features,  just  then 
aglow  with  self-satisfaction,  "Pop,  how  about 
that  money  I  spoke  about  ?" 

Old  Applegate  stared  at  his  offspring  from 
under  his  heavy,  iron-gray  brows. 

"A  fine  time  to  be  askin'  fer  money!"  he 
snorted  indignantly,  "you  just  back  frum 
Panamy — under  a  cloud,  too,  and  yet  you  start 
a  pesterin'  me  fer  money  as  ef  it  grew  on 
trees." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  f 

"What  d'ye  want  it  fer,  hey?"  he  went  on 
after  a  pause.  "More  Bye  Scut  nonsense?" 

Jared  shook  his  head  as  if  denying  some  dis- 
creditable imputation. 

"I've  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Boy  Scouts 
since  the  day  I  was  kicked  out  of — that  is,  since 
I  left  the  Black  Wolf  troop  in  New  York." 

"Dum  glad  of  it,  though  you  never  tole  me 
what  you  quit  for,"  muttered  the  old  man. 

"But  to  get  back  to  that  money,"  said  Jared; 
"as  I  told  you  when  I  got  back  from  the  Isthmus, 
I  need  it.  Need  it  bad,  too,  or  I  wouldn't  ask 
you." 

"Makes  no  diff'rence.  What  d'ye  want  it  fer, 
— hey  ?"  he  repeated,  coming  back  to  his  original 
question. 

Jared  decided  that  there  was  nothing  for  it  but 
to  tell  the  truth. 

"To  go  over  what  I  told  you  the  other  night 
once  more,  I'm  in  debt.  Debts  I  ran  up  on  the 
Isthmus,"  was  the  rejoinder.  "A  chap  can't  live 
down  there  for  nothing  you  know,  and — " 


8  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"By  heck !  You  got  a  dern  good  salary  as  Mr. 
Mainwaring's  sec'ty,  didn't  yer,  an'  a  chance  ter 
learn  engin-e-ring  thrun  in.  You  git  fired  fer 
misbehavin'  yerself  an'  then  yer  come  down  on 
the  old  man  fer  money.  I  ain't  goin'  ter  stand  it, 
I  ain't,  and  that's  flat!" 

The  old  man  knocked  the  ashes  out  of  his  half- 
smoked  pipe  with  unnecessary  violence.  Jared, 
eying  him  askance,  saw  that  his  father  was  work- 
ing himself  up  into  what  Jared  termed  "  a  tan- 
trum." Taking  another  tack,  he  resumed. 

"Sho,  pop !  It  ain't  as  if  you  weren't  going  to 
get  it  back.  And  there'll  be  interest  at  six  per 
cent.,  too." 

This  was  touching  old  Applegate  on  a  tender 
point.  If  rumor  in  and  about  Hampton  spoke 
correctly,  the  old  man  had  made  most  of  his  large 
fortune,  not  so  much  by  farming,  but  by  run- 
ning, at  ruinous  rates,  a  sort  of  private  bank. 

"Wa'al,"  he  said,  his  hard,  rugged  old  face 
softening  the  least  bit,  "uv  course  you've  tole  me 
all  that ;  but  what  you  h'aint  tole  me  is,  how  yer 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  9 

a  goin'  ter  git  ther  money  back, — an'  the 
interest." 

He  looked  cunningly  at  his  son  as  he  spoke. 
Jared  hesitated  an  instant  before  he  replied. 
Then  he  said  boldly  enough : — 

"I  can't  tell  you  just  what  the  business  enter- 
prise is  that  I  expect  to  go  into  shortly.  I'm — 
I'm  under  a  sort  of  promise  not  to,  you  see.  But 
if  everything  goes  right,  I'll  be  worth  a  good 
round  sum  before  long." 

"Promises  ain't  security,"  retorted  the  old  man 
warily.  "I — Gee  Whitakers !  Thar's  that  spotted 
hawg  out  agin !" 

Across  the  dusty  road  the  animal  in  question 
was  passing  as  the  farmer's  eyes  fell  on  it.  In 
the  center  of  the  track  it  paused  and  began  root- 
ing about,  grunting  contentedly  at  its  liberty. 

At  the  same  moment  a  humming  sound,  almost 
like  the  drone  of  a  big  bumble  bee,  came  out  of 
the  distance.  As  he  heard  the  peculiar  drone,  a 
quick  glance  of  recognition  flashed  across  old 
Applegate's  face. 


10  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"It's  that  pesky  Mainwaring  gal  an'  her  'lectric 
auto !"  he  exploded  vehemently.  "That  makes  the 
third  time  in  ther  last  two  weeks  that  Jake's  bin 
out  when  she  come  along.  Ther  fust  time  she 
knocked  him  over,  ther  second  time  she  knocked 
him  over,  an'  now — " 

A  smart-looking  little  electric  runabout,  driven 
by  a  pretty  young  girl  in  motoring  costume, 
whizzed  round  the  corner.  The  ill-fated  Jake 
looked  up  from  his  rooting  as  the  car  came  dash- 
ing on.  Possibly  the  recollection  of  those  other 
two  narrow  escapes  was  upon  him.  At  any  rate, 
with  a  scared  grunt  and  an  angry  squeal,  he 
whisked  his  stump  of  a  curly  tail  in  the  air  and 
dashed  for  the  picket  fence  in  front  of  the  Apple- 
gate  place. 

But  either  Jake  was  too  slow,  or  the  electric 
was  too  fast.  Just  as  the  girl  gave  the  steering 
wheel  of  the  auto  a  quick  twist  to  avoid  the  pig, 
one  of  the  forewheels  struck  the  luckless  Jake 
"astern,"  as  sailors  would  say. 

With  an  agonized  wail  Jake  sailed  through  the 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  11 

air  a  few  feet  and  then,  alighting  on  his  feet, 
galloped  off  unhurt  but  squealing  as  if  he  had 
been  mortally  injured. 

"Goodness,"  exclaimed  the  girl  alarmedly,  and 
then,  "gracious!" 

The  quick  twist  of  the  wheel  had  caused  the 
car  to  give  a  jump  and  a  skid  and  land  in  the 
ditch,  where  it  came  to  a  standstill.  Farmer 
Applegate,  rage  tinting  his  face  the  color  of  a 
boiled  beet,  came  storming  down  the  path. 

"This  is  the  time  I  got  yer,  hey?"  he  shouted 
at  the  alarmed  occupant  of  the  auto.  "That 
makes  three  times  you  run  over  Jake.  You  got 
away  them  other  times,  but  I  got  yer  nailed  now. 
Kaint  git  yer  car  out  uv  ther  ditch,  hey  ?  Wa'al, 
it'll  stay  thar  till  yer  pay  up." 

"I'm — I'm  dreadfully  sorry,"  stammered  the 
girl,  "really  I  had  no  intention  of  hurting — er — 
Jake.  In  fact,  he  doesn't  seem  to  be  hurt  at  all." 

There  appeared  to  be  good  reason  for  such  a 
supposition.  Jake,  at  the  moment,  was  engaged 


12  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

in  combat  over  a  pile  of  corn  fodder  with  several 

of  his  fellows. 

"Humph !  Prob'ly  hurt  internal,"  grunted  the 
farmer.  "Anyhow,  it's  time  you  bubblists  was 
taught  a  lesson." 

"Oh,  of  course  I'm  willing  to  pay,"  cried  the 
girl,  and  out  came  a  dainty  hand-bag.  "Er — how 
much  will  satisfy  Jake's — I  mean  your — feel- 
ings?" 

The  old  farmer  was  quick  to  catch  the  note  of 
amusement  in  the  girl's  voice. 

"You  won't  mend  matters  by  bein'  sassy,"  he 
growled;  "besides,  your  pop  fired  my  boy  down 
on  the  Isthmus  an'  I  ain't  feelin'  none  too  good 
toward  yer." 

"I  have  nothing  to  do  with  my  father's  affairs," 
said  the  girl  coldly,  noting  out  of  the  corner  of 
her  eye  Jared's  figure  slinking  around  the  side  of 
the  porch;  "how  much  do  you  want  to  help  me 
get  my  car  out  of  the  ditch,  for  that's  really  what 
it  amounts  to,  you  know  ?" 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  13 

Ignoring  the  quiet  sarcasm  in  her  voice,  old 
Applegate's  face  took  on  its  crafty  expression. 

"Wa'al,  it's  three  times  now  you've  run  over 
Jake.  Say  five  dollars  each  time, — that  ud  be  yer 
fine  for  overspeedin',  anyhow, — that  makes  it 
fifteen  dollars." 

"Fifteen  dollars !"  The  girl's  voice  showed  her 
amazement  at  such  a  figure. 

"It  ort'er  be  twenty,"  snorted  old  Applegate; 
"thar's  ther  injury  to  Jake's  feelin's.  You  bang 
over  him  at  sixty  mile  an  hour  an'  scare  him 
out'n  all  his  fat  an'  six  months'  growth.  Fifteen 
dollars  is  cheap,  an' — you  don't  go  till  yer  pay  up, 
neither." 

"Why,  it's  simply  extortion.  I'll  pay  no  such 
sum.  Send  your  bill  to  my  father.  He'll  settle 
it.  And  now  help  me  out  of  this  ditch,  if  you 
please." 

"Now,  don't  you  git  het  up,  miss.  Thar's  a 
speed  law  on  Long  Island,  an'  by  heck,  you  pay 
er  I'll  hev  yer  up  afore  the  justice.  Lucindy !"  he 
raised  his  voice  in  a  call  for  his  wife;  Jared  had 


14  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

vanished.  A  slovenly-looking  woman,  wiping  her 
hands  on  a  gingham  apron,  appeared  on  the 
porch. 

"Lucindy,  how  many  miles  an  hour?  Jake's 
bin  run  over  agin,"  he  added  suggestively. 

"Wa'al,"  said  Lucindy  judicially,  "it  looked 
like  sixty ;  but  I  reckin  h'it  warn't  more'n  twenty- 
five." 

"Humph!"  snorted  Applegate  triumphantly, 
"an'  ther  speed  limit's  fifteen." 

"Why,  I  wasn't  going  more  than  ten  miles!" 
cried  the  girl,  flushing  with  indignation. 

"Huh!  Tell  that  to  ther  justice.  I'll  git  my 
son  to  push  yer  machine  out'n  ther  ditch  an'  then 
I'll  hop  in  aside  yer  an*  we'll  drive  into  town." 

"You'll  do  no  such  thing!  Why,  the  idea! 
Take  your  hand  off  my  car  at  once,  or — oh,  dear ! 
What  shall  I  do  ?"  she  broke  off  despairingly. 

"You'll  drive  me  inter  town  or  pay  fifteen  dol- 
lars, that's  what  you'll  do,"  declared  Farmer 
Applegate  stubbornly;  "now  then — hullo,  what 
in  ther  name  uv  early  pertaties  is  this  a-comin'  ?" 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  15 

Around  the  same  corner  from  which  the  auto 
had  appeared  with  such  embarrassing  results  to 
its  pretty  young  driver  came  three  well-built 
lads.  One  of  them  was  rather  fat  and  his  round, 
good-natured  face  was  streaming  with  perspira- 
tion from  the  long  "hike"  on  which  they  had 
been.  But  his  companions  looked  trained  to  the 
minute,  brown-faced,  lithe-limbed,  radiating 
health  and  strength  from  their  khaki-clad  forms. 
All  three  wore  the  same  kind  of  uniform,  gaiters, 
knickerbockers,  coats  of  military  cut  and  broad- 
brimmed  campaign  hats.  In  addition,  each  car- 
ried a  staff. 

"Hullo,  what's  all  this,  Rob?"  cried  one  of 
them  as  they  came  into  full  view  of  the  strange 
scene, — the  ditched  auto,  the  flushed,  embarrassed 
yet  indignant  girl,  and  the  truculent  farmer. 

"Consarn  it  all,  it's  them  pesky  Boy  Scouts 
from  Hampton,"  exclaimed  Farmer  Applegate 
disgustedly,  as,  in  answer  to  the  girl's  appealing 
look,  the  three  youths  stepped  up,  their  hands 
lifted  in  the  scout  salute  and  their  hats  raised. 


16  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER  II. 

AN  ANGRY  FARMER. 

"Can  we  be  of  any  assistance?"  asked  Rob 
Blake  of  the  girl,  whose  alarmed  looks  made  it 
evident  that  she  was  in  an  unpleasant  situation. 
He  ignored  the  red- faced,  angry  farmer,  but  took 
note  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  of  Jared,  who 
was  peeping  out  at  them  from  behind  a  shed. 
Apparently  he  had  no  wish  to  appear  on  the  scene 
while  his  late  employer's  daughter  was  there. 
To  himself  he  muttered : — 

"'It's  that  stuck-up  Roy  Blake,  that  butter- 
firkin,  Tubby  Hopkins  and  that  sissy,  Merritt 
Crawford.  They're  always  butting  in  when 
they're  not  wanted." 

The  girl  turned  gratefully  to  the  newcomers. 
Rob's  firm  voice  and  capable  appearance  made 
her  feel,  as  did  no  less  her  scrutiny  of  his  com- 
panions, that  here  were  friends  in  need. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  IT 

"Oh,  thank  you  so  much!"  she  cried.  "I  am 
Lucy  Mainwaring,  and  you,  I'm  sure,  are  Rob 
Blake,  leader  of  the  Eagle  Patrol.  I've  heard 
lots  about  you  from  my  brother  Fred,  who  is 
leader  of  the  Black  Wolf  Patrol,  First  New  York 
Troop." 

"Yes,  I'm  Rob  Blake,  this  is  Merritt  Crawford, 
my  second  in  command,  and  this  is  Tub — I  mean 
Robert  Hopkins." 

"I  know  all  on  yer,"  growled  out  old  Apple- 
gate,  "an'  I  tell  yer  to  keep  out  of  this.  Just 
'cause  yer  a  banker's  son,  young  Blake,  don't  give 
you  no  right  ter  come  interferin'  where  yer  not 
wanted." 

"Oh,  but  they  are  wanted!"  cried  the  girl, 
before  Rob  could  say  a  word.  "This  man  says 
that  I  ran  over  one  of  his  pigs.  Why,  it's  absurd. 
I  only  just  bumped  the  animal,  axid  there  he  is 
over  there  now  fighting  for  his  breakfast."r 

Her  eyes  fairly  bubbled  merriment  as  Jake's 
raucous  squeals  rose  belligerently  from  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  hog  pens.  Tubby  spoke  up. 


18  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"If  he  can  eat,  he's  all  right,"  announced  the 
stout  youth  with  his  customary  solemnity. 

"But  I've  grazed  the  wretched  pig  twice 
before,"  cried  the  girl,  "and  Mr.  Applegate  wants 
fifteen  dollars  or  he  won't  help  me  out  of  this 
ditch." 

"That's  right,"  confirmed  the  farmer,  "fifteen 
dollars  er  she  goes  afore  the  justice  fer — fer 
running  over  Jake." 

"But  she  didn't  run  over  him,"  retorted  Rob, 
"and  anyhow,  fifteen  dollars  is  an  outrageous 
price  to  ask  for  your  real  or  fancied  injuries." 

"The  hog's  injuries,"  corrected  the  farmer. 

"Same  thing  almost,"  whispered  Merritt  to 
Tubby  with  a  chuckle. 

"Come  on,  boys/'  said  Rob,  "let's  help  this 
young  lady  out  of  the  ditch." 

The  girl  turned  on  the  power  and  the  three  Boy 
Scouts  shoved  with  all  their  might  at  the  rear  of 
the  machine.  It  quivered,  started,  stopped,  and 
then  fairly  dashed  up  on  to  the  road.  So  quickly 
had  it  all  been  done  that  before  the  farmer  could 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  19 

make  a  move  the  runabout  was  on  the  thorough- 
fare. 

"Lucindy !  Lucindy,  let  Towser  loose !"  yelled 
the  old  man  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  his 
senses. 

The  woman  ran  off  the  porch  and  in  a  few 
seconds  a  big,  savage-looking  bull  dog  came 
bounding  out,  showing  his  red  fangs  and  white 
teeth. 

The  girl  gave  a  little  scream  as  the  dog  looked 
tip  at  his  master,  apparently  waiting  an  order  to 
rush  at  the  boys. 

"Go  on!"  Rob  said  to  the  girl  in  a  quick,  low 
whisper,  "we'll  be  all  right." 

"Oh,  but  I  can't !    You've  helped  me " 

"That  was  our  duty  as  Scouts.  Now  turn  on 
your  power  and  get  away.  We'll  find  a  way  to 
deal  with  the  old  man,  never  fear." 

Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  remain,  the  girl 
applied  the  power  once  more  and  the  machine 
shot  out  of  sight. 


20  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Consarn  you  pesky  brats,"  roared  old  Apple- 
gate,  fairly  beside  himself. 

"Sic  'em,  Towse !"  he  shouted  the  next  instant. 

Rob  had  been  prepared  for  some  such  move  as 
this.  As  the  dog,  with  a  savage  growl,  sprang 
forward,  he  brought  his  staff  into  play.  There 
was  a  flash  of  the  implement,  a  quick  twist,  and 
the  astonished  Towser  found  himself  spinning 
backward  in  the  direction  from  which  he  had 
advanced. 

"Don't  set  that  dog  on  us  again,"  cried  Rob, 
in  a  clear,  commanding  voice,  "if  you  do,  he'll  get 
hurt." 

"Consarn  you!"  bellowed  the  farmer  again, 
"air  you  aidin'  and  abettin'  lawless  acts  ?" 

"As  far  as  that  goes,  your  hog  had  no  business 
in  the  middle  of  the  road,"  was  the  quiet  rejoin- 
der. 

"I'll  go  to  law  about  this,"  shouted  the  farmer 
furiously,  brandishing  his  knotted  fist.  But  he 
made  no  attempt  to  "sic"  Towser  on  the  boys 
again.  As  for  that  redoubtable  animal,  he  stood 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  21 

by  his  master,  his  tail  between  his  legs.  To  use 
the  vernacular,  he  appeared  to  be  wondering 
"what  had  struck  him." 

As  there  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  remain- 
ing, the  three  Boy  Scouts  started  off  anew  on 
the  last  stage  of  their  "hike/'  which  had  been  one 
of  twenty-four  miles  started  the  day  before  to 
visit  a  patrol  in  a  distant  town  on  the  island. 
They  struck  off  briskly,  as  boys  will  when  home 
is  almost  in  sight  and  appetites  are  keen.  The 
farmer,  seeing  that  nothing  was  to  be  gained  by 
abusing  them  any  further,  contented  himself  by 
calling  them  "young  varmints"  and  turned  back 
toward  his  house. 

The  boys  had  not  proceeded  many  paces  when 
-they  heard  behind  them  the  quick  "chug-chug"  of 
a  motor  cycle.  Turning,  they  saw  coming 
toward  them  a  youth  of  about  Rob's  age, 
mounted  on  a  red  motor  cycle  which,  from  the 
noise  it  made,  appeared  to  be  of  high  power.  As 
he  drew  alongside  them  they  noticed  that  he,  too, 
was  in  Scout  uniform,  and  that  from  the  handle 


22  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

bars  on  his  machine  fluttered  a  flag  with  a  black 
wolf's  head  on  it.  The  newcomer  stopped  his 
machine,  nimbly  alighted  and  gave  the  Scout 
salute,  which  the  boys  returned. 

"My  name  is  Fred  Mainwaring  of  the  Black 
Wolf  Patrol  of  the  First  New  York  Troop,"  he 
announced,  "have  you  seen  anything  of  a  young 
lady  driving  an  electric  runabout  ?" 

The  boys  exchanged  amused  glances.  Then 
Rob  recounted  the  scene  in  front  of  the  farm- 
house. He  also  introduced  himself  and  his  patrol 
mates.  Fred  Mainwaring,  a  fine-looking,  curly- 
haired  lad,  appeared  much  diverted. 

"That's  just  like  sis,"  he  exclaimed,  "she's 
always  getting  in  trouble  with  that  auto  of  hers ; 
doing  things  she  aut-n't  to,  so  to  speak.  Excuse 
the  pun.  It's  a  bad  habit  of  mine.  She  went  for  a 
spin  this  morning  and  wouldn't  wait  for  me,  so 
now  behold  me  in  chase  of  her." 

After  some  more  chat,  during  which  Fred 
Mainwaring  received  a  hearty  invitation  to  visit 
the  quarters  of  the  Eagle  Patrol  in  Hampton,  the 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  23 

boys  parted,  very  well  pleased  with  each  other. 
The  young  scouts  of  the  Eagle  Patrol  already 
knew  much  about  the  Mainwaring  family,  Mr. 
Mainwaring  having  recently  purchased  an  estate 
just  out  of  Hampton.  The  newcomer  to  the  com- 
munity was  preceded  by  an  almost  world-wide 
reputation,  as  a  skillful  engineer.  Many  of  the 
great  problems  in  connection  with  Uncle  Sam's 
"Big  Ditch"  had  been  successfully  solved  by  him, 
and,  although  just  now  he  was  at  home  on  a  "fur- 
lough," he  was  shortly  to  leave  once  more  for  the 
Zone. 

During  the  course  of  their  brief  chat  Fred  had 
informed  the  boys  that  he  and  his  sister  were  to 
accompany  their  father  on  the  return  voyage, 
Fred  taking  the  position  of  secretary. 

"He  had  another  chap  before  he  came  up  from 
the  tropics,"  he  informed  the  boys.  "I  guess  he 
lives  somewhere  round  here.  Jared  Applegate  his 
name  was.  Had  to  fire  him,  though,  for  some 
sort  of  crooked  work.  I  don't  know  just  what  it 
was ;  but  it  must  have  been  something  pretty  bad. 


24  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

for  dad  got  mighty  angry  when  he  told  about  it. 
You  see,  in  a  way  I  feel  responsible.  Jared,  who 
was  working  as  a  stenographer  and  typewriter  in 
New  York,  belonged  to  my  troop.  I  liked  him 
after  a  fashion,  and  got  dad  to  make  him  his 
secretary.  It  wasn't  till  after  he'd  left  for 
Panama  that  I  accidentally  found  out  that  Jared, 
who  had  been  treasurer  of  the  troop,  had  been 
stealing  small  sums  from  time  to  time. 

MI  didn't  notify  dad  for  fear  of  worrying  him ; 
but  of  course  Jared  was  dropped  from  the  troop. 
When  dad  got  back  from  the  Isthmus  this  time  I 
asked  about  Jared  and  found  out  that  he  had  been 
discharged.  Just  what  for,  I  don't  know.  Dad 
wouldn't  tell  me." 

"We  know  something  of  Jared's  reputation 
about  here,"  rejoined  Rob.  "It's  none  too  good. 
By  the  way,  that's  his  father's  place  back  there 
where  your  sister  had  all  the  trouble." 

"I  knew  that  his  home  was  somewhere  near 
Hampton,"  was  the  rejoinder. 

This  conversation  took  place  on  the  roadside 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  25 

not  more  than  a  few  feet  from  a  stone  wall  which 
bounded  the  outlying  fields  of  the  Applegate 
property.  Behind  this  wall,  if  the  four  lads  had 
known  it,  was  concealed  a  listener  to  whom  all 
their  conversation  was  perfectly  plain.  Jared 
had  watched  the  boys  meeting  from  the  dooryard 
and  had  crept  cautiously  along  behind  the  stone 
wall  till  he  arrived  at  a  spot  opposite  that  at  which 
the  group  was  chatting.  "Listeners  never  hear 
good  of  themselves,"  says  the  old  saw.  Jared 
assuredly  proved  its  truth  that  fine  spring  morn- 
ing. 

An  evil  look  passed  over  his  countenance  as  he 
crouched  behind  the  wall.  His  sallow  face  grew 
a  pasty  yellow,  with  anger.  His  shifty  eyes  glit- 
tered furiously  as  he  heard  his  record  discussed. 

"So  that's  the  game,  is  it?"  he  muttered  to 
himself,  as  the  boys  parted  company,  Fred  Main- 
waring  shooting  off  like  a  red  streak  on  his 
machine.  "Well,  I  guess  that  before  long  I'll  have 
my  innings,  and  when  I  do  I'll  make  it  hot  for  all 
of  you,  especially  old  man  Mainwaring.  I'll  get 


26  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

even  with  him  if  it  take?  me  a  year ;  but  I  don't 
think  it'll  be  that  long." 

He  drew  a  letter  from  his  pocket  and  glanced 
over  it  in  the  manner  of  one  already  familiar  with 
a  missive's  contents,  but  who  wishes,  by  a  fresh 
perusal,  to  satisfy  himself  once  more.  This  is 
•what  he  read  from  the  much-creased  document : 

"If  you  have  what  you  claim  we  will  talk  busi- 
ness with  you.  It  will  be  made  worth  your  while." 

The  letter  bore  no  signature  nor  address.  It 
referred  to  a  subject  with  which  the  writer,  for 
an  excellent  reason,  would  not  have  cared  to  have 
his  name  linked.  The  "big  ditch"  project,  the 
greatest  of  the  age,  perhaps  of  all  time,  had, 
inconceivable  as  it  may  seem,  bitter  and  unscrupu- 
lous enemies.  The  person  who  had  written  that 
note  to  poor,  sneaking  Jared  Applegate  was  one 
of  these. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  27 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON  A  MISSION. 

While  the  three  Boy  Scouts  are  trudging  back 
toward  Hampton,  we  will  take  the  opportunity  to 
introduce  them  more  fully  to  our  readers  who 
may  not  have  met  them  before.  Rob  Blake,  the 
son  of  the  local  banker  in  the  seashore  village  of 
Hampton,  Long  Island,  had,  some  time  before 
the  present  story  opens,  founded  the  Eagle  Patrol. 
The  early  days  of  its  existence  formed  the  basis 
of  the  first  book  of  the  series,  for  the  lads  flocked 
eagerly  to  its  standard,  and  the  Patrol  was  soon 
in  a  flourishing  condition,  with  a  well-equipped 
room  above  the  local  bank  building,  a  fine,  up-to- 
date  structure.  The  adventures  of  the  Patrol  in 
camp  and  Scout  life  in  general  were  various  and 
exciting.  The  boys  made  some  enemies,  as  was 
natural,  for  many  boys  wished  to  belong  to  their 
Patrol  who  could  not  be  admitted ;  but  in  the  end, 


28  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

thanks  mainly  to  their  Scout  training,  all  things 
came  out  well  for  the  Eagles. 

In  the  second  volume  we  found  "The  Boy 
Scouts  on  the  Range."  In  this  book  full  details 
of  Scout  principles  as  put  into  practice  in  a  wild 
and  lawless  country  were  related.  The  pursuit  of 
Silver  Tip,  the  giant  grizzly,  popularly  supposed 
to  bear  a  charmed  life,  was  an  interesting  feature 
of  their  experience  in  the  West.  Indians  and 
cattle  rustlers  made  trouble  for  the  boys  and  their 
friends,  but,  although  the  boys  were  several  times 
placed  in  jeopardy  and  danger,  they  emerged  with 
credit  from  all  their  dilemmas. 

Still  following  the  lads'  fortunes,  we  found 
them  in  the  third  volume  of  the  series,  "The  Boy 
Scouts  and  the  Army  Airship,"  deeply  interested 
in  the  subject  of  aerial  navigation.  They  man- 
aged to  give  material  aid  in  certain  experiments 
that  the  government  carried  on  at  a  lonely  house 
on  the  sea  coast  near  Hampton,  and  became  in- 
volved in  some  thrilling  incidents  which  still 
further  put  to  the  test  their  ability  and  clever- 
ness. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  29 

In  "The  Boy  Scouts'  Mountain  Camp,"  the 
scene  shifted  to  the  Adirondacks,  whither  the 
boys  went,  primarily  on  a  quiet  camping  trip. 
But  they  became  involved  in  an  exciting  search 
for  a  long  missing  treasure,  immured  in  an 
ancient  and  almost  inaccessible  cave  in  the  heart 
of  a  wild  region.  How  they  won  out  against 
apparently  insurmountable  obstacles  makes  excit- 
ing and  instructive  reading. 

"The  Boy  Scouts  for  Uncle  Sam,"  the  fifth 
volume,  related  some  surprising  events  that 
occurred  when  the  boys'  aid  was  called  into  requi- 
sition in  connection  with  a  new  type  of  submarine 
which  foreign  powers  were  doing  their  best  to 
appropriate,  but  which  was  intended  for  the 
United  States  Government.  Readers  of  that 
volume  will  readily  recall  Rob's  abduction  and 
marooning  on  a  desert  island  and  the  pernicious 
activities  of  a  green  motor  boat  which  was  used 
by  the  agents  of  a  foreign  power.  Rob's  mar- 
velous swim  across  a  narrow  inlet,  through  which 
the  tide  boiled  like  a  mill  race,  and  the  inter- 


50  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

change  of  Scout  signals  with  astonishing  results, 
are  only  two  of  the  incidents  that  go  to  show  that 
the  Eagle  Patrol  was  always  to  be  relied  upon 
to  do  its  duty  and  live  up  to  the  strict  letter  of 
the  inspiring  motto,  "Be  Prepared." 

For  the  next  few  days  the  lads  of  the  Eagle 
Patrol  were  busy  indeed  with  preparations  for 
what  was  to  them  a  very  important  piece  of  work. 
This  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  placard- 
ing of  the  town  with  announcements  that  a  team 
made  up  of  the  Eagles  would  play  the  Hampton 
nine  in  the  first  baseball  game  of  the  season,  the 
proceeds  to  be  equally  divided.  The  Boy  Scouts' 
half,  of  course,  would  go  toward  the  general 
patrol  fund  for  the  purchase  of  equipment  and 
so  on. 

Each  of  the  lads  had  a  duty  to  perform  in  this 
connection.  Hiram  Nelson,  whose  father  was  in 
the  printing  business,  was  to  get  up  the  posters, 
which  were  to  be  printed  on  big,  yellow  sheets. 
Andy  Bowles,  whose  uncle  conducted  a  livery 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  3t 

stable,  arranged  for  rigs  to  convey  the  young 
bill-posters  around  the  country;  while  Tubby 
Hopkins, — since  the  duty  was  partly  of  a  culinary 
nature, — undertook  to  make  the  paste.  This, 
despite  unkind  remarks  to  the  effect  that,  unable 
to  restrain  his  appetite,  he  might  be  tempted  to 
eat  it!  In  this  manner  the  different  duties  were 
distributed  and  each  member  of  the  patrol  took 
an  active  part  in  the  work. 

Rather  to  Rob's  surprise,  and  likewise  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  other  lads,  Jared  Applegate's 
name  appeared  as  pitcher  for  the  Hampton  team. 
But,  after  all,  there  was  nothing  so  very  astonish- 
ing in  this,  for  Jared,  before  he  left  for  New 
York,  had  been  a  clever  pitcher  on  the  Hampton 
Academy  team,  which  had  beaten  some  of  the 
best  ball  players  on  Long  Island.  Sam  Lamb,  the 
regular  pitcher  for  the  Hamptons,  it  was  later 
learned,  had  sprained  his  wrist  in  jumping  on  a 
moving  train,  and  Jared  had  eagerly  volunteered 
to  take  his  place.  He  had  made  open  boasts  about 


32  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

the  town  that  he  meant  to  "knock  some  of  those 

tin  soldier  kids  higher  than  so  many  kites." 

"Let  him  do  his  best,"  was  all  Rob  had  said, 
when  Andy  Bowles,  the  diminutive  bugler  of  the 
Eagles,  brought  him  this  information. 

When  not  engaged  in  preparations  for  "bill- 
ing" the  surrounding  country,  which  occupied 
almost  all  the  time  they  could  spare  from  their 
studies,  the  Scouts  practiced  hard  and  faithfully. 
They  had  a  good  team,  but  they  had  to  admit 
that  the  town  boys,  too,  played  very  good  ball. 
As  the  day  for  the  contest,  a  Saturday,  drew 
near,  excitement  began  to  run  high.  Jared  never 
spoke  to  any  of  the  Scouts,  all  of  whom,  by  this 
time,  knew  of  his  disgrace  while  a  member  of  the 
Black  Wolf  Patrol.  Possibly  he  did  not  wish  to 
run  a  chance  of  being  snubbed;  but  be  that  as  it 
may,  when  he  passed  any  of  the  uniformed 
youngsters  he  kept  his  eyes  on  the  ground.  This 
did  not  prevent  him,  however,  from  hanging 
around  when  the  Scouts  were  at  practice  and 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  33 

making  all  sorts  of  contemptuous  remarks  con- 
cerning their  play. 

The  Saturday  before  the  game,  the  lads  started 
out  in  different  directions  to  put  up  their  bills. 
Those  whose  duties  lay  within  easy  distance  of 
Hampton  went  on  foot ;  but  the  others  took  rigs. 
Among  the  latter  were  Rob,  Merritt  and  Tubby 
Hopkins.  With  them  they  carried  a  good  thick 
bundle  of  bills,  plenty  of  paste  and  long-handled 
brushes.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  and  they  were  in 
high  spirits  as  they  drove  along  the  pleasant 
country  roads. 

Their  way  took  them  by  Farmer  Applegate's 
place. 

"Let's  plaster  up  a  few  on  the  old  grouch's 
barn,"  suggested  Merritt  with  a  laugh. 

"No;  I  don't  want  to  do  that,"  declared  Rob 
positively,  "although  he  isn't  entitled  to  much 
consideration.  It  was  a  shame  the  way  he 
treated  Fred  Mainwaring's  sister." 

"Such  a  pretty  girl,  too,"  chuckled  Tubby,  with 
a  mischievous  look  at  Merritt.  Rob  intercepted 


34  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

the  glance  and  turned  red,  at  which  both  his 
companions  teased  him  more  than  ever.  Luckily 
for  Rob's  peace  of  mind,  however,  at  this  juncture 
something  occurred  to  cause  the  current  of 
Tubby' s  thoughts  to  flow  in  another  direction. 

Beyond  the  farm  buildings  a  spotted  pig  was 
nosing  about  contentedly  in  the  middle  of  the 
road.  As  his  eyes  lighted  on  the  porker,  Tubby 
gave  a  shout  of  delight. 

"We  can  use  him,"  he  cried  delightedly. 

"There  you  go  again.  Always  thinking  about 
something  to  eat,"  snorted  Merritt. 

"Not  this  time,"  retorted  Tubby  indignantly; 
"anyhow,  I've  never  heard  of  your  being  absent 
at  meal  times.  But  on  this  occasion  it's  alive  and 
in  his  proper  person  that  Jake  is  going  to  be  use- 
ful to  us." 

"In  what  way?"  asked  Rob. 

"As  a  living  advertisement,"  chuckled  the 
stout  youth,  his  round  cheeks  shaking  as  he  eyed 
the  unsuspecting  Jake. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  35 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SOME  UP-TO-DATE  ADVERTISING. 

By  the  time  the  buggy  drew  up  alongside  Jake, 
who  was  too  engrossed  in  his  rooting  operations 
to  perceive  it,  or  at  any  rate  to  bestow  any  atten- 
tion upon  it,  Tubby  had  disclosed  his  plan  to  his 
chums,  who  hailed  it  with  shouts  of  delight. 
From  his  pockets  the  fat  boy  produced  an  apple 
and  a  bit  of  cake.  Tubby  never  traveled  far 
without  provisions.  "Keeping  in  touch  with  his 
base  of  supplies,"  he  called  it. 

It  spoke  volumes  for  his  enthusiastic  belief  in 
the  success  of  his  plan  that  he  was  willing  to 
offer  both  of  these  to  Jake  as  soon  as  he  had 
alighted  from  the  buggy.  Close  behind  him  came 
Rob  and  Merritt,  the  latter  with  the  horse's 
hitching  rope  in  his  hand. 

"Come,  pig!  pig!  pig!  Nice  Jake!"  warbled 
[Tubby  in  the  most  dulcet  voice  he  could  assume. 


36  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Jake  looked  up.  His  small  eyes  twinkled. 
Unsuspectingly  he  sniffed  the  air  as  he  perceived 
a  rosy  apple  temptingly  held  out  toward  him. 

"It's  a  shame,"  laughed  Rob,  half  contritely,  "if 
he  hadn't  caused  a  lot  of  trouble  for  a  mighty  nice 
girl  I  wouldn't  stand  for  it." 

"Pig !  pig !  pig !"  chortled  Tubby  persuasively. 

"Unk!  unk!  unk!"  grunted  Jake,  wiggling  his 
tail. 

"Wonderful  how  they  understand  each  other, 
isn't  it?"  remarked  Merritt  with  a  grin.  But 
Tubby  was  too  intent  on  what  he  had  in  hand  to 
resent  the  gross  insult. 

Closer  and  closer  shuffled  Jake,  his  greedy 
little  eyes  on  the  apple.  All  at  once  he  appeared 
to  make  up  his  mind  in  a  hurry.  He  made  a  dart 
for  the  tempting  bait. 

"Now,"  yelled  Tubby. 

Quick  as  a  flash,  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  pre- 
concerted signal,  Merritt  flung  the  looped  hitch- 
ing rope  about  the  pig's  neck.  Jake  gave  a  squeal 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  3T 

and  wriggled  with  might  and  main,  but  his  ears 
held  the  rope  from  slipping  off. 

"Give  him  the  apple  to  keep  him  quiet,"  sug- 
gested Merritt,  as  Jake  squealed  at  the  top  of  his 
voice. 

Tubby  proffered  the  apple  and  instantly  Jake 
forgot  his  troubles  in  devouring  it.  In  the  mean- 
time Tubby  slipped  to  the  wagon  and  selected 
a  poster  or  two  and  a  brush  full  of  paste. 
Returning,  amidst  shouts  of  laughter  from  his 
fellow  conspirators,  he  plentifully  "shampooed" 
Jake  with  paste,  and  then  slapped  the  gaudy 
yellow  bills  on  till  it  appeared  as  if  the  astute 
Jake  had  enveloped  himself  in  a  bright  orange 
overcoat. 

"Now  cut  him  loose,"  ordered  Rob,  when 
Tubby,  with  all  the  satisfaction  of  a  true  artist, 
stepped  back  to  view  his  completed  work. 

Merritt  slipped  the  noose,  and  off  down  the 
road  toward  the  farm  dashed  the  gaudily 
decorated  Jake,  conveying  the  news  to  all  who 
might  see  that  on  Saturday,  April  — ,  there  would 


38  THE  BOY   SCOUTS 

be  a  Grand  Baseball  Game  at  Hampton,  Boy 
Scouts  of  The  Eagle  Patrol  vs.  The  Hampton 
Town  Nine. 

As  the  boys,  shouting  and  shaking  with  laugh- 
ter, watched  this  truly  original  bit  of  advertising 
gallop  off  down  the  road,  the  one  touch  needed 
to  complete  the  picture  was  filled  in.  From  his 
dooryard  emerged  the  farmer.  The  first  thing 
his  eyes  lighted  on  was  Jake.  For  one  instant  he 
regarded  the  alarmed  animal  in  wonderment. 
Then,  with  a  yell,  he  rushed  into  the  house. 

"Ma !  ma !  Lucindy !"  he  bellowed  at  the  top  of 
his  voice,  "Jake's  got  the  yaller  fever,  er  the 
jaunders,  er  suthin'.  Come  on  quick !  He's  comin* 
down  ther  road  like  ther  Empire  State  Express, 
and  as  yaller  as  a  bit  of  corn  bread." 

At  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  the  boys,  their 
sides  shaking  with  laughter,  deemed  it  prudent 
to  emulate  the  Arabs  of  the  poem  and  "silently 
steal  away." 

Looking  back  as  they  drove  off  they  could  see 
Lucindy  and  her  spouse  engaged  in  a  mad  chase 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  3S> 

after  the  overcoated  Jake.  Even  at  that  distance 
the  latter's  piercing-  cries  reached  their  ears  with 
sharp  distinctness  and  added  to  their  merriment. 
Rob  alone  seemed  a  bit  remorseful  at  the  huge 
success  of  Tubby's  novel  advertising  scheme. 

"Applegate's  a  pretty  old  man,  fellows,"  he 
remarked,  "and  maybe  we  went  a  bit  too  far." 

"Well,  if  his  age  runs  in  proportion  to  his 
meanness,  he'll  outlive  Methuselah,"  declared 
Merritt  positively. 

The  road  they  followed  gradually  led  into  a 
by-track  that  joined  the  muin  road  they  had  left 
with  one  that  traversed  the  north  side  of  the 
island.  It  was  sandy,  and  ett  places  along  its 
course  high  banks  towered  on  each  side  of  it. 
At  length  they  emerged  from  one  of  these  sunken 
lanes  and  found  on  their  right  an  abandoned 
farm.  Quite  close  to  the  roadside  stood  a  big, 
rattletrap-looking  barn.  It  had  once  been  painted 
red,  but  neglect  and  the  weather  had  caused  the 
paint  to  shale,  off  in  huge  patches,  leaving  blotches 


SO  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

of  bare  wood  that  looked  leprous  with  moss  and 
lichen. 

"What  do  you  say  if  we  leave  a  few  souvenirs 
pasted  up  there?"  said  Merritt. 

"Well,  it  wouldn't  hurt  the  looks  of  the  place, 
anyhow,"  decided  Rob.  "I  doubt  if  many  people 
come  along  this  road  anyway;  but  I  guess  we 
might  as  well  get  busy." 

"Well,  you  two  fellows  can  do  the  work  this 
time,"  declared  Tubby,  stretching  out  luxuriously 
in  the  rig. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  ?" 

"I'm  going  to  drive  down  the  road  and  hitch 
up  in  the  shade  of  that  tree  and  take  a  nap." 

"That's  pretty  cool !"  exclaimed  Merritt. 

"I  know  it  is,  at  least  it  looks  so,"  responded 
Tubby. 

"Seems  to  me  it's  up  to  you  to  do  some  work, 
too,"  protested  Merritt. 

"As  if  I  hadn't  just  done  a  big  job  in  labeling 
that  pig,"  replied  Tubby,  yawning;  "it's  your 
turn  now." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  41 

Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  try  to  turn  Tubby 
from  his  determination  to  rest,  which,  next  to 
eating,  was  his  favorite  occupation,  Rob  and 
Merrit  took  up  their  brushes,  paste  and  a  roll  of 
bills  and  set  out  for  the  barn.  Tubby  watched 
them  languidly  a  minute  and  then  drove  off  along 
the  sandy  track  while  the  other  two  clambered  up 
a  bank. 

From  the  road  the  barn  had  appeared  quite 
close ;  but  when  they  reached  the  top  of  the  bank 
they  found  that,  actually,  it  stood  back  quite  a 
little  distance  beyond  a  strip  of  grass  and  weeds. 
The  boys  waded  through  these  almost  knee-deep, 
and  finally  reached  the  side  of  the  old  barn.  They 
set  down  their  buckets  and  brushes  and  unrolled 
some  bills  preparatory  to  pasting  them  up. 

Suddenly  Merritt  raised  a  warning  finger. 
Rob  instantly  divined  that  his  chum  enjoined 
silence. 

"Hark!"  was  the  word  that  Merritt's  lips 
framed  rather  than  spoke. 

Inside  the  barn  some  one  was  talking, — several 


43  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

persons  seemingly.  After  a  minute  the  boys  could 
distinguish  words  above  the  low  hum  of  the 
speakers'  voices.  Suddenly  they  caught  a  name: 
"Mainwaring." 

"I  guess  maybe  we  might  be  interested  in  this/' 
whispered  Rob. 

By  a  common  impulse  the  two  Boy  Scouts 
moved  closer  to  the  moldering  wall  of  the  old 
barn. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  43 


CHAPTER    V. 
A  BIG  SURPRISE. 

Time  and  weather  had  warped  the  boards  of 
the  structure  till  fair-sized  cracks  gaped  here  and 
there.  The  boys  made  for  one  of  these,  with  the 
object  of  peering  into  the  place  and  getting  a 
glance  at  its  occupants.  At  first  they  had 
thought  that  these  were  nothing  more  than  a 
gang  of  tramps,  but  the  name  of  the  engineer, 
spoken  with  a  foreign  accent,  had  aroused  them 
to  a  sense  that,  whoever  was  in  the  old  barn,  a 
subject  was  being  discussed  that  might  be  of 
interest  to  their  new  friends. 

Applying  their  eyes  to  two  cracks  in  the  tim- 
bers, they  saw  that  within  the  barn  four  persons 
were  seated.  One  of  these  they  recognized 
almost  instantly  as  Jared  Applegate.  By  his 
side  sat  a  youth  of  about  his  own  age,  flashily 
dressed,  with  a  general  air  of  cheap  smartness 


44  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

about  him.  The  other  two  occupants  of  the  place 
were  of  a  different  type.  One  was  heavily  built 
and  dark  in  complexion,  almost  a  light  coffee 
color,  in  fact.  His  swarthy  face  was  clean  shaven 
and  heavily  jowled.  Seated  next  to  him  on  an 
old  hay  press  was  a  man  as  dark  as  he,  but 
more  slender  and  dapper  in  appearance.  Also  he 
was  younger,  not  more  than  thirty,  while  his 
companion  was  probably  in  the  neighborhood  of 
fifty,  although  as  powerful  and  vigorous,  so  far 
as  the  boys  could  judge,  as  a  man  of  half  his 
years. 

"You  say  that  you  have  duplicates  of  Main- 
waring's  plans,  showing  exactly  the  weakest 
points  of  the  great  dam?"  the  elder  man  was 
asking,  just  as  the  boys  assumed  positions  of  lis- 
tening. 

Jared  nodded.  He  glanced  at  the  more  slen- 
der of  the  two  foreigners. 

"I  guess  Mr.  Estrada  has  told  you  all  about 
that,"  he  said. 

"Of  course,  my  dear  Alverado,"  the  dapper 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  45 

little  man  struck  in,  "you  recollect  that  I  spoke 
to  you  of  Sefior  Applegate's  visit  to  me  at  Wash- 
ington." 

Rob  started.  The  name  Estrada,  coupled  with 
a  mention  of  Washington,  recalled  to  his  mind 
something  that  sent  a  thrill  through  him  taken  in 
connection  with  the  words  of  the  man  addressed 
as  Alverado. 

Estrada, — Jose  Estrada !  That  was  the  name 
of  the  ambassador  of  a  South  American  republic 
that  had  several  times  been  mentioned  as  being 
opposed  to  Uncle  Sam's  plans  on  the  Isthmus. 
What  if — but  not  wishing  to  miss  a  word  of  what 
followed,  he  gave  over  speculating  and  applied 
himself  to  listening  with  all  his  might.  Jared 
gave  a  short,  disagreeable  laugh. 

"You  can  just  bet  I  got  duplicates  of  all  the 
plans,"  he  chuckled,  "I  had  an  idea  that  Main- 
waring  was  going  to  fire  me  on  account  of — well, 
of  something,  and  so  I  went  to  work  and  copied 
off  all  of  his  private  papers  I  could.  You  see,  it 
was  common  talk  on  the  Isthmus  that  the  place 


46  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

was  alive  with  spies,  and  I  figured  out  that  any- 
body who  was  interested  enough  to  hire  spies 
must  be  mighty  anxious  to  get  at  the  real  plans 
of  the  canal,  and  willing  to  pay  big  for  them, 
too,"  he  added  with  a  greedy  look  on  his  face, 
which  for  an  instant  gave  him  a  strong  likeness 
to  his  father. 

RobandMerritt  exchanged  glances.  From  even 
the  little  that  they  had  heard  it  was  plain  enough 
what  was  going  forward  in  the  barn.  There  was 
no  doubt  now  that  Jared  was  bargaining  with 
representatives  of  a  foreign  power  that  had  good 
reason  to  dislike  Uncle  Sam ;  no  question  but  that 
Mr.  Mainwaring's  plans,  or  at  least  copies  of 
them,  were  in  the  hands  of  an  unscrupulous  young 
rascal  who  was  willing  to  sell  them  to  the  highest 
bidder,  without  caring  for  what  nefarious  pur- 
pose they  were  to  be  used. 

The  Boy  Scouts'  blood  fairly  boiled  as  they 
heard.  They  had  always  known  Jared  to  be  weak, 
unprincipled  and  dishonest,  but  that  he  would 
descend  to  such  rascality  as  this  was  almost 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  47 

beyond  belief.  Merritt  in  his  anger  made  a  ges- 
ture of  shaking  his  fist.  It  was  an  unfortunate 
move.  A  bit  of  board  on  which  one  of  his  feet 
rested  gave  way  with  a  sharp  crack  under  the 
sudden  shifting  of  his  weight. 

Instantly  the  men  in  the  barn  were  on  the 
alert. 

"What  was  that?"  cried  Estrada  sharply. 

"Nothing.  A  rat,  I  guess;  old  barns  like  this 
are  full  of  them/'  rejoined  Jared,  striving  to 
appear  at  ease,  but  glancing  nervously  about  him. 

"A  rat,  bah !"  exclaimed  Alverado,  puffing  out 
his  fat  jowls  till  he  looked  like  a  huge  puff  adder. 
"That  was  not  a  rat,  amigo,  that  was  a  spy.  This 
barn  is  not  as  secret  a  meeting  place  as  you  led 
us  to  believe." 

"Come  on,  Merritt,"  whispered  Rob,  "grab  up 
everything  and  run  for  it.  They'll  be  out  here 
in  a  minute." 

Swiftly  they  gathered  up  their  paste,  brushes 
and  bills,  and  crouching  low  ran  toward  what  had 
been  a  smoke-house.  Hardly  had  they  darted 


48  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

within  its  dark  and  odorous  interior  when  tHe 
conspirators  in  the  barn  came  rushing  out,  look- 
ing in  every  direction.  In  Alverado's  hand  some- 
thing glittered  in  the  sunlight.  The  two  Boy 
Scouts  peering  out  through  a  knot-hole  had  no 
difficulty  in  recognizing  the  object,  with  an 
unpleasant  thrill,  as  an  automatic  revolver. 

They  now  saw,  too,  something  that  they  had 
been  unable  to  perceive  from  the  back  of  the 
barn.  This  was  a  big,  red  touring  car  drawn  up 
close  to  the  antiquated  structure.  But  they  had 
no  time  to  waste  in  looking  at  the  car.  The  move- 
ments of  the  searching  party  engrossed  their 
attention  too  deeply. 

"Scatter  in  every  direction,"  they  heard 
Alverado  order,  "we  must  find  out  if  anyone  has 
been  here  listening,  or  if  our  ears  deceived  us." 

There  was  no  doubt  but  that  the  search  was  to 
be  a  thorough  one.  Even  the  chauffeur  of  the 
car,  which,  the  boys  noticed  in  a  quick,  fleeting 
glance,  bore  no  number,  joined  in  the  search.  They 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  '491 

rushed  about  like  a  pack  of  bloodhounds  in  every 
direction. 

"This  is  getting  pretty  warm,"  whispered  Rob; 
"it's  plain  those  chaps  are  thoroughly  alarmed 
and  don't  mean  to  leave  a  stone  unturned  to  find 


us." 


"Oh,  that  unlucky  board!"  groaned  Merritt 
remorsefully.  "I'm  a  fine  specimen  of  a  Scout  to 
make  such  a  mistake  as  that, — at  such  a  critical 
time,  too." 

"It  was  unfortunate;  but  accidents  will  hap- 
pen," rejoined  Rob  quickly.  "But  it's  no  use 
crying  over  spilt  milk." 

"What  are  we  going  to  do  ?" 

"I'm  trying  to  think." 

"Perhaps  there  is  a  chance  that  they  will  over- 
look us." 

"No  danger  of  that,  I'm  afraid.  From  what 
little  I  saw  of  Mister  Alverado  he  appears  to  be 
a  very  painstaking  gentleman." 

"They're  searching  the  house  now." 

"Yes,  that  will  take  them  some  time;  but  you 


HO  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

can  depend  on  it  that  when  they've  finished  they'll 
search  the  outbuildings." 

"Yes ;  and  they've  left  that  chauffeur  on  guard 
outside,  too.  Not  a  chance  of  our  getting  out  of 
here." 

"Unless  there's  another  door." 

"Cracky!  Maybe  there  is.  Let's  look.  But 
we've  got  to  hurry  up.  Hark !" 

"They're  coming  out  of  the  house  and  point- 
ing over  here,"  cried  Rob  the  next  instant. 

Both  boys  desperately  sought  to  find  some  way 
out  of  the  old  smoke-house  other  than  by  the  door 
by  which  they  had  entered.  But  no  exit  offered. 
Suddenly  Rob  had  an  inspiration.  The  smoke- 
house was  roofed  like  an  inverted  V.  The  roof 
was  covered  with  shingles.  Apparently  they 
were  rotten,  for  in  places  the  light  came  through. 
One  side  of  the  roof  faced  toward  the  abandoned 
farmhouse;  the  other  faced  back  upon  some 
fields.  Rob  thrust  his  fist  with  some  violence 
against  the  shingles  on  the  side  of  the  smoke- 
house roof  that  faced  the  fields.  To  his  joy  the 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  51 

shingles  gave  way  almost  like  rotten  cardboard. 

"Hurrah !  We've  found  a  way  out,"  he  cried 
exultingly,  although  he  was  careful  not  to  raise 
his  voice  much  above  a  whisper.  He  rapidly 
enlarged  the  opening  till  it  was  big  enough  to 
crawl  through.  Luckily  the  search  party  had 
paused  to  examine  a  corn  crib  that  lay  between 
the  smoke-house  and  the  farmhouse,  so  that  the 
boys  had  a  few  seconds'  grace. 

"Now  then,  through  you  go !"  breathed  Rob  as 
soon  as  he  had  pitched  out  the  bills. 

Merritt  scrambled  through  with  Rob  close  on 
his  heels.  The  apex  of  the  roof,  of  course, 
screened  them  from  view  of  the  party  now 
approaching  the  old  smoke-house.  It  was  a  drop 
of  not  more  than  three  feet  to  the  ground,  for 
the  walls  were  low,  and  Rob  had,  of  necessity, 
punctured  the  roof  near  the  eaves. 

Ahead  of  them  lay  a  meadow  with  a  patch  of 
woods  beyond.  Rank  brush  and  tall  weeds  inter- 
vened. But  they  had  to  make  a  dash  of  some 
hundred  feet  across  an  open  space.  Somehow, 


52  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

just  how  they  never  knew,  they  got  across  it  and 
plunged  into  the  brush,  making  for  the  woods 
beyond. 

At  the  same  instant  Alverado  and  the  others 
entered  the  smoke-hoase. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  5S 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BASEBAU,. 

"Of  course  they  guessed  how  we  made  our 
escape,  Rob." 

Merritt  spoke  as  the  two  lads  lay  crouched  in 
the  thick  brush  far  removed  from  harm's  way. 

"Naturally.  The  fresh  breaks  in  the  roof  would 
show  them  that.  But,  beyond  that,  they  are  none 
the  wiser  as  to  our  identity,  of  which  I  am  heartily 
glad." 

"I  can  understand  that.  You  don't  like  the 
look  of  things." 

"Merritt,"  Rob  spoke  very  soberly,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  other's  arm,  "it  looks  to  me  as  if 
we've  stumbled  on  a  monumental  plot  against 
Uncle  Sam's  canal.  I  don't  know  much  of  politics, 
but  I  do  know  enough  to  realize  that  there  is  a 
certain  South  American  republic  that  thinks  that 
the  Canal  Zone  was  stolen  from  her  by  trickery 


54  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

and  deceit.  I'm  sorry  to  say,  too,  that  I've 
heard  that  there  are  interests  right  here  in  the 
States  that  agree  with  her — people  who  think  that 
the  opening  of  the  canal  will  result  in  enormous 
losses  to  freight,  and  who  would  like  to  see  the 
canal  completion  delayed  at  all  costs." 

"I  see.  You  think  that  the  two  dark  men 
were  representatives  of  that  republic  you  men- 
tioned." 

"I  know  one  of  them  was,"  snapped  Rob;  "he 
is  its  representative  at  Washington." 

"Wow!  Say,  Rob,  this  is  a  big  thing  we've 
stumbled  upon.  We  must  bring  it  to  the  atten- 
tion of  the  proper  authorities." 

"That's  our  duty  as  Scouts." 

"Of  course.  But  what  steps  do  you  propose  to 
take?" 

"I  don't  just  know  yet.  We  must  see  Mr. 
Mainwaring,  of  course,  first.  It  will  be  for  him 
to  decide.  But — horrors,  Merritt! — we've  for- 
gotten all  about  Tubby.  He's  asleep  in  the  rig. 
Look,  Jared  and  his  friends  are  piling  into  the 


AT  THE   PANAMA   CANAL  BS 

auto.  If  they  go  down  that  road  they  are  sure  to 
discover  him.  They  may  do  him  some  injury." 

But  the  next  instant  both  the  anxious  lads  drew 
a  sigh  of  relief.  Instead  of  taking  the  by-road, 
the  auto  struck  off  across  lots  along  a  barely  per- 
ceptible and  weed-grown  track.  In  a  few  moments 
it  was  out  of  sight  and  the  coast  was  clear.  Then, 
and  not  till  then,  the  two  Boy  Scouts  set  out  to 
rejoin  Tubby.  They  found  that  rotund  youth 
blissfully  sleeping,  while  the  old  nag  cropped 
grass  at  the  roadside.  They  awakened  their 
stout  comrade  and  soon  took  the  lees  of  sleep  out 
of  his  eyes  by  relating  all  that  had  passed  within 
the  last  hour.  Tubby  heartily  agreed  that  the 
first  thing  to  be  done  was  to  put  Mr.  Mainwaring- 
on  his  guard. 

Naturally  there  was  no  more  thought  of  bill 
posting,  and  filled  with  a  sense  of  the  duty  that 
lay  before  them  the  three  Boy  Scouts  drove 
rapidly  back  to  Hampton.  But  there  a  disappoint- 
ment awaited  them.  Mr.  Mainwaring  had  been 
called  away  on  business.  He  had  gone  west  and 


66  THE  BOY   SCOUTS 

would  not  be  back  for  a  week  or  more.  So  for 
the  present  the  scene  in  the  barn  had  to  be 
forgotten,  while  more  immediate  matters  were 
attended  to.  During  the  ensuing  week  nothing 
was  seen  of  Jared,  but  the  Saturday  afternoon  of 
the  game  found  him  "warming  up"  on  the  ball 
field  with  the  orange  and  black  of  the  Hampton 
team  on  his  back. 

Rob  and  Merritt  fairly  boiled  over  with  indig- 
nation as  they  watched  him.  But  they  decided 
not  to  say  anything  to  him  that  might  put  him 
on  his  guard. 

"We'll  give  him  all  the  rope  he  wants," 
declared  Rob.  Later  he  was  bitterly  to  regret  the 
adoption  of  this  policy. 

The  grounds  began  to  fill  up  early.  The  game 
aroused  widespread  interest  in  that  section  of 
Long  Island.  As  the  local  paper  put  it,  "red-hot 
ball"  was  looked  for.  Enthusiastic  young  ladies 
were  there  by  the  score,  waving  flags  from  the 
bunches  on  sale  about  the  field  by  hawkers.  The 
grand-stand  filled  early.  Rob's  team-mates 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  57 

noticed  his  eyes  frequently  straying  in  that 
direction. 

"Looking  for  Lucy  Mainwaring,"  whispered 
Tubby  to  Merritt  with  a  grin  on  his  round  and 
blooming  countenance. 

Finally  the  game  was  called  and  soon  both 
teams  were  on  the  field.  Hiram,  captain  of  the 
Eagles,  won  the  toss  and  chose  to  go  to  bat  first. 
The  game  was  started.  Nelson  promptly  struck 
out.  He  could  not  help  making  a  wry  face  as  he 
threw  down  the  willow. 

A  broad  grin  was  on  Jared's  face.  He  went 
through  all  sorts  of  antics,  as  Andy  Bowles  came 
to  bat  with  a  look  of  grim  determination  on  his 
face. 

Jared  was  good;  that  was  a  fact  which 
admitted  no  blinking,  as  the  Eagles  had  to 
acknowledge.  Andy  was  given  first  base  on  balls, 
tried  to  steal  second,  was  thrown  out  and  retired 
disgruntled  to  the  bench.  The  Hampton  rooters 
began  to  give  their  war  cry.  The  Eagle  sup- 
porters replied  to  it  bravely.  It  was  early  in 


58  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

the  game  to  be  making  any  predictions.  Rob  was 
third  batter.  He  struck  out.  Jared's  delight  was 
ill-concealed. 

"I'll  shut  'em  out,"  he  bragged  loudly,  not 
caring  who  heard.  "I'll  show  the  tin  soldiers 
some  pitching." 

The  Eagle  supporters  had  tc  admit  that  things 
did  not  look  very  roseate,  but  they  consoled  them- 
selves by  recollecting  the  fact  that  practically  the 
game  had  only  begun. 

Hampton  now  went  to  the  bat.  Merritt  occu- 
pied the  pitcher's  box.  He  had  injured  his  arm 
somewhat  in  practice,  but  it  was  agreed,  after  a 
consultation,  to  put  him  up  as  first  pitcher,  hold- 
ing Rob  in  reserve  till  they  got  the  Hampton's 
gait.  Merritt  showed  wonderful  form.  In  one, 
two,  three  order  he  struck  out  Hampton's  batters, 
including  Jared. 

Great  was  the  delight  of  the  Eagles  and  their, 
friends. 

"Good  boy,  Merritt !  Good  for  you !  Kr-e-e-  e- 
ee-ee!"  was  heard  on  all  sides  as  the  Hamptons 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  59 

came  running  out  to  take  their  positions  in  the 
field. 

Merritt  felt  a  glow  of  pleasure  as  Rob  con- 
gratulated him. 

"I  hope  I  can  keep  it  up/'  was  all  he  said. 

"I  hope  so,  too ;  but  I'd  like  to  have  a  chance  at 
Jared,"  responded  Rob. 

The  Eagles  now  came  to  the  bat,  Rob  leading. 
Rob  was  not  only  a  good  pitcher  but  a  sure  batter. 
Whiz-z  came  Jared's  ball.  Rob  met  it  and 
promptly  drove  a  humming  liner  into  right  field. 
It  was  a  safe  base  hit. 

"Oh,  you  Eagles !"  chanted  the  crowd ;  those  of 
them  who  were  not  lined  up  for  Hampton,  that  is. 

Rob  watched  his  chance  and  stole  second,  to 
the  huge  delight  of  his  team  supporters.  An  ugly 
look  was  on  Jared's  face.  The  next  batter,  Mer- 
ritt, received  first  base  on  four  balls.  Cheers  and 
yells  greeted  this.  Jared's  countenance  grew 
blacker  and  blacker.  He  bit  his  lip  impatiently. 

Suddenly  Rob  played  dangerously  off  second 
base.  The  Hampton  second  baseman  was  close  to 


80  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

him.  It  was  a  daring  move.  Jared  saw  it  in  a 
flash.  The  catcher's  signal  came.  He  threw  the 
ball  to  the  Hampton  short  stop  on  second  base. 

But  Jared's  chagrin  at  the  way  his  pitching 
was  being  "knocked  about"  unsteadied  his  aim. 
He  threw  wild.  The  ball  passed  above  the  short 
stop's  outstretched  finger  tips.  Rob  darted  off 
for  third  base  like  a  jack  rabbit. 

The  right  fielder  got  the  ball  and  shot  it  to 
third  base,  but,  although  the  ball  and  Rob  seemed 
to  arrive  simultaneously,  Rob  was  hugging  the 
bag  contentedly  in  the  nick  of  time.  This  was  a 
quick,  stirring  bit  of  play  and  brought  yells  from 
the  crowd,  among  whom  criticisms  of  Jared  were 
freely  expressed.  He  grew  pale  with  rage  and 
chagrin. 

Paul  Perkins  now  came  to  bat.  The  dreamy 
lad  struck  out.  His  apparent  unconcern  made  the 
crowd  laugh.  They  laughed  even  more  when 
Tubby,  having  struck  out  also,  calmly  picked  up 
*  bit  of  pie  he  had  been  munching  when  he  came 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  61 

to  bat  and  marched  to  his  seat  contentedly  chew- 
ing it. 

At  this  stage  of  the  game  two  were  out,  Merritt 
was  on  second  and  Rob  on  third. 

Now  came  the  turn  of  Ernest  Thompson,  a 
big-eyed,   serious-looking  lad,   one   of  the   first 
recruits  to  the  Eagle  standard  and  a  first-class 
scout.      Jared   was   now   on   the   broad   grin. 
Thompson  looked  easy. 

"Look  out,  baby-face,"  chuckled  Jared,  poising 
himself. 

An  in-curve  shot  from  his  hand.  Ernest  gazed 
at  it  in  an  uninterested  manner  and  allowed  it  to 
goby. 

"Strike  one!"  came  the  sonorous  voice  of  the 
umpire,  who  was  Sim  Giles,  the  postmaster. 

"Oh-h-h-h-h !"  yelled  the  crowd. 

The  next  ball  was  of  the  same  character.  This 
time  Ernest  struck  at  the  ball.  He  missed  and 
the  crowd  yelled  again.  Jared  began  to  regain 
self-confidence. 

"Strike  two,"  was  the  cry. 


62  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

The  third  ball  was  high. 

"Ball  one,"  declared  Sim. 

Then  came  an  out-curve.  But  it  was  too  far 
out.  Jared  was  a  rather  ragged  pitcher. 

"Ball  two,"  called  Sim. 

Suddenly  Jared  threw  to  third  base.  But,  quick 
as  he  was,  he  didn't  catch  Rob  off. 

"How's  that?"  yelled  Higgins,  the  Hampton 
third  baseman,  as  he  touched  Rob. 

The  umpire  merely  waved  his  hand  in  what  he 
deemed  a  professional  manner. 

"A  thousand  years  late,"  chuckled  Rob  to  Hig- 
gins. 

Jared  heard  him  and  flashed  him  an  ugly  look. 
Hatred  gleamed  in  his  eyes.  Rob  watched  him 
narrowly  and  again  stole  off  third. 

Bang! — came  a  swift  straight  ball  at  the 
dreamy  Ernest.  But  he  was  not  in  "a  trance," 
as  Jared  had  scornfully  thought.  Crack! — went 
a  hot  grounder  to  short  stop.  Merritt  stood  fast 
at  second,  but  Rob,  like  an  arrow  from  a  bow, 
shot  off  for  home.  The  short  stop  fired  in  the 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  63 

sphere  to  the  catcher  as  quickly  as  he  could.  But 
before  the  ball  got  there,  Rob,  his  legs  working 
like  pistons,  had  passed  the  home  plate. 

What  a  roar  went  up  then !  Flags  waved  and 
cheers  resounded  among  the  Eagle  sympathizers. 

As  the  cheering  died  away  the  catcher,  Hollis 
Powers,  walked  into  the  diamond  to  confer  with 
Jared,  who  showed  by  his  passionate  gestures 
that  he  was  mad  clear  through. 

"Look  out  or  they'll  knock  you  out  of  the  box," 
yelled  some  one. 

This  did  not  tend  to  improve  Jared's  temper. 
But,  nevertheless,  he  struck  out  the  next  batter, 
Simon  Jeffords,  which  helped  in  part  to  restore 
his  balance.  The  Eagles  then  retired  to  the  field. 

"How  do  you  feel,  Merritt  ?"  was  eagerly  asked 
by  his  comrades  before  he  took  the  pitchers 
box. 

"All  right,  so  far.  You'll  know  soon  enough 
when  my  wing  gets  sore,"  was  the  reply. 

Apparently  Rob  was  not  destined  to  pitch  that 
day.  Merritt  struck  out  the  first  two  batters, 


«4  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

fielded  a  hot  liner  and  threw  out  Jared  before  he 
got  to  first  base.  Jared  was  certainly  piling  up 
his  list  of  grievances  against  the  Boy  Scouts.  To 
add  to  his  ill-feeling  he  had  recognized  Fred 
Mainwaring,  nodded  to  the  latter  and  received 
the  cut  direct.  The  fact  that  Lucy  Mainwaring 
was  a  witness  to  this  snub  did  not  improve 
matters. 

"Good  boy,  Merritt!"  yelled  the  Eagle  sup- 
porters in  a  frenzy  of  delight. 

The  third  inning  commenced  with  the  Eaglet 
at  the  bat.  But  now  Jared  appeared  to  have  on 
his  throwing  clothes.  The  Scout  batters  couldn't 
hammer  his  pitching  at  all. 

In  fact,  all  that  occurred  while  they  succeeded 
each  other  at  the  bat  was  a  monotonous  succession 
of  calls  from  the  umpire : 

"Strike  one.    Strike  two.    You're  out." 

The  Hampton  villagers  began  to  pluck  up 
heart.  They  gave  Jared  warm  support  and  cheers 
for  his  really  excellent  work  and  that  of  his  team- 
mates. To  the  somewhat  blank  astonishment  of 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  65 

the  Eagles,  they  had  not  been  able  to  find  Jared's 
pitching  at  all  in  this  inning.  It  began  to  look  as 
if  they  were  by  no  means  to  have  things  their 
own  way. 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER  VII. 
A  TEST  FOR  THE  EAGLES. 

But  Jared  was  to  score  still  further.  He  came 
to  bat  confidently  at  the  end  of  the  third  inning. 
With  two  of  his  side  out  and  none  on  bases,  he 
knocked  a  beautiful  homer  into  left  field.  It 
was  a  really  fine  drive.  The  Hampton  contingent 
went  wild.  The  faces  of  the  Eagle  supporters, 
too,  were  cheerful,  but  anxious.  As  for  Jared,  he 
beamed,  and  then  as  his  eyes  met  Rob's,  he  gave 
the  latter  a  malevolent  glance. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  inning  each  side  had 
scored  one  run.  The  Eagles  made  no  runs  in  the 
following  three  innings,  while  Hampton  scored 
two,  so  that,  when  the  seventh  inning  began, 
things  looked  rather  gloomy  for  the  Scouts.  The 
score  then  stood  three  to  one  in  favor  of  Hamp- 
ton and  the  town  players  fairly  swelled  with 
confidence. 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  67 

It  was  already  painfully  evident  that,  exercise 
his  will  power  as  he  would,  Merritt's  arm  was 
getting  sore.  He  had  put  redoubled  efforts  into 
his  work  but  the  score  showed  with  how  little  suc- 
cess. At  the  beginning  of  the  seventh,  he  told 
Captain  Hiram  that  he  thought  the  Hamptons 
had  "found"  his  pitching,  but  he  consented  to 
stay  in  the  box  for  one  more  inning. 

The  inning  commenced  with  Merritt  at  the  bat. 
He  was  given  first  base  on  balls.  Paul  Perkins 
made  a  base  hit  to  left  field.  He  got  safely  to 
first  with  Merritt  hugging  second.  Tubby  Hop- 
kins once  more  struck  out  with  the  same  cheerful 
grin  on  his  round  countenance.  Hiram  sent  a 
slow  grounder  to  Jared  and  was  promptly  thrown 
out  at  first,  but  Merritt  reached  third,  and  Paul 
second,  very  nicely. 

Rob  Blake  now  came  to  the  bat.  Jared  deter- 
mined to  strike  him  out  if  it  were  humanly  pos- 
sible. After  a  lot  of  posing  which  he  thought 
gave  him  quite  a  professional  air,  Jared  delivered 


«8  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

the  best  ball  in  his  repertoire,  a  swift  and  vicious 
in-curve.  It  fairly  hissed  through  the  air. 

Crack! 

Rob's  willow  collided  with  the  sphere  and  away 
it  sped  far  into  right  field.  Merritt  and  Paul 
scored  amidst  tremendous  enthusiasm ;  hats  were 
thrown  in  the  air.  Things  once  more  looked  rosy 
for  the  Eagles.  Rob  was  easily  the  favorite  of 
the  moment. 

As  for  Jared,  his  feelings  were  not  enviable. 
He  felt  that  he  would  gladly  have  allowed  the 
others  to  score  if  he  had  only  been  able  to  shut 
Rob  out.  He  struck  out  the  next  batter,  and  then 
Hampton  went  to  bat. 

Merritt's  arm  felt  better  and  he  went  to  the 
box  without  the  misgivings  that  had  assailed  him 
earlier.  But  with  the  first  ball  he  pitched  he  knew 
that  he  had  deluded  himself.  The  batter  hit  a 
fly  to  right  field  and  was  caught  out.  Merritt, 
summoning  every  ounce  of  resolution  he  could 
muster,  struggled  on  right  manfully.  But  it  was 
a  hopeless  cause.  Base  hits  were  made  with 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  69 

absurd  ease.  Jared  was  caught  out  on  a  fly. 
Finally  there  were  two  out  and  two  on  bases. 

Higgins  came  to  bat  and  made  a  second  home 
run  amidst  yells  of  delight  from  the  Scouts' 
opponents. 

It  began  to  look  like  grim  defeat  for  the  Scoute. 
The  Hampton  contingent  was  jubilant.  Jared 
danced  mockingly  about  whenever  he  could  catch 
the  eye  of  a  Boy  Scout. 

The  next  Hampton  batter  struck  an  easy  fly 
to  left  field  which  was  caught  by  Paul  Perkins. 
The  Scouts  now  came  to  the  bat,  beginning  the 
eighth  inning.  The  score  was  six  to  three  in 
Hampton's  favor.  Things  looked  black,  but  with 
the  true  Scout  spirit  the  lads  of  the  Eagle  put 
the  best  face  possible  on  matters.  They  noted 
Jared' s  leering  face  without  a  sign  that  they  saw 
his  malignant  triumph. 

Jared  struck  out  the  first  three  Scout  batters 
with  ridiculous  ease.  When  the  Hamptons  came 
to  the  bat,  the  Eagles  made  a  change  in  pitchers. 
It  was  Rob,  cool,  self-confident  and  determined, 


70  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

who  occupied  the  box.  This  followed  a  consulta- 
tion at  which  it  was  agreed  that,  splendidly  as 
Merritt  had  done,  his  arm  had  gone  back  on  him. 

As  Hiram  adjusted  his  catcher's  mask  and  Rob 
took  his  new  position,  things  grew  very  quiet 
It  was  palpable  to  all  that  the  change  of  pitchers 
denoted  a  crisis  in  the  game  for  the  Scouts.  Rob 
faced  the  first  batter  without  indulging  in  any 
of  Jared  Applegate's  antics.  Hiram  signaled  for 
a  swift  one.  He  braced  himself  as  he  saw  it 
coming.  He  knew  that  Rob  was  a  swift  pitcher 
with  a  mighty  right. 

"Strike  one!"  yelled  the  umpire  a  fraction  of 
a  second  later. 

Jared,  at  the  bat,  looked  angry  and  puzzled. 
He  wondered  why  they  hadn't  put  Rob  in  the 
box  at  first.  He  did  not  know  that  Rob,  while  a 
splendid  pitcher,  "was  not  to  be  relied  on  through 
a  long  game  as  was  Merritt.  Another  thing  he 
didn't  know  was  that  Rob  had  determined  with 
a  grim  resolution  to  snatch  victory  from  the  jaws 
of  defeat,  if  possible.  That's  a  feeling  that  will 


AT   THE   PANAMA    CANAL  71 

carry  any  boy,  or  man  either  for  that  matter,  a 
long  way. 

Hiram  signaled  for  another  cannon-ball.  It 
was  plain  that  those  were  just  the  kind  of  missiles 
that  were  not  at  all  to  Jared's  liking. 

The  ball  shot  from  Rob's  hand  apparently  with- 
out effort.  But  it  shot  over  the  plate  like  a  bullet. 

"Strike  two !"  bellowed  the  umpire. 

"Oh,  you  Rob !"  yelled  his  friends. 

"K-r-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee !"  shrilled  the  Scouts. 

But  Rob  took  no  notice;  nor  did  he  regard 
Jared's  look  of  hatred,  oddly  mixed  with  worry. 
Rob's  pitching  bothered  him.  He  wanted  no  more 
off  that  plate. 

But  whi-z-z-z-z-z-z !  came  another  "cannon 
ball"  like  a  high  powered  projectile  burning  up 
the  atmosphere.  Jared  swung  wildly  an  inch  too 
high. 

"Striker's  out !"  came  the  call  of  Jared's  doom 
from  the  umpire. 

It  was  a  furiously  angry  youth  that  strode  to 
the  bench. 


72  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"Thought  you  were  going  to  make  ducks  and 
drakes  out  of  him,  Jared?"  grinned  one  of  his 
fellow  players. 

"So  I  was.  I  was  just  trying  him  out/'  grunted 
Jared  disgustedly. 

The  next  two  batters  couldn't  handle  Rob's 
pitching  at  all.  The  game  began  to  look  as  if  it 
might  be  retrieved  after  all. 

"Blake!  Blake!  Blake !"  chanted  the  crowd  as 
Rob  walked  toward  the  batters'  bench. 

Merritt  was  first  at  bat  for  the  Scouts  in  the 
ninth  inning.  Jared  began  to  pitch  with  as  good 
an  imitation  of  Rob's  speed  as  he  could  muster. 
Merritt  let  the  first  ball  sing  past  him. 

"Ball  one." 

The  second,  also,  went  by  in  similar  manner. 

"Ball  two!"  sang  out  Sim  in  his  high,  nasal 
voice. 

Jared  pulled  himself  together.  He  sent  the 
ball  humming  right  over  the  home  plate.  Mer- 
ritt swung  at  it  and  made  a  safe  base  hit  to  right 
field.  Then  came  Hiram.  He  struck  out.  Jared 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  TS 

and  the  Hamptonites  began  to  feel  better.  Jared 
was  still  holding  the  Scouts  down  and  they  had  a 
safe  margin  of  runs. 

Paul  Perkins  struck  out  this  time.  Then  came 
Ernest  Thompson,  who  dreamily  submitted  to 
the  same  process. 

Rob  Blake  now  came  to  the  bat.  His  exhibition 
of  pitching  just  previously  earned  him  a  round  of 
applause.  Jared  looked  positively  bilious.  He 
had  actually  been  holding  himself  in  reserve  for 
Rob.  It  was  his  intention  to  shut  him  right  out. 
Rob  ignored  Jared's  first  ball. 

"Ball  one!"  was  the  cry. 

"Ball  two !"  followed  in  rapid  succession.  Rob 
smiled  easily.  Jared's  dislike  of  the  boy  at  the 
bat  was  making  him  irritable  and  uneasy. 

But  he  rallied  his  skill  and  threw  what  looked 
like  an  easy  pitch.  Rob  struck  at  it  but  fanned 
the  empty  air. 

Jared  grinned,  the  Hamptonites  yelled  and  the 
umpire  called : — 

"Strike  one!" 


T4  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"All  right  for  you,  Mister  Casey  at  the  bat/' 
snarled  Jared,  "watch  out  for  this  one." 

It  came  like  a  flash,  a  tricky,  wavy  curve. 
Rob  swung  with  all  his  strength  and — missed ! 

"Strike  two!" 

A  groan  went  up  from  the  Scout  supporters. 
Their  chances  of  victory  looked  slim  indeed  now. 

"Wake  up !  You're  in  a  trance !"  scoffed  Jared, 
grinning  at  Rob.  "Get  out  of  the  straw." 

"The  straw  in  the  red  barn !"  suddenly  flashed 
Rob,  in  a  low,  but  far-reaching  voice.  It  was 
pregnant  with  meaning  and  Jared  turned  white 
as  death.  He  fumbled  the  ball  with  trembling 
fingers. 

"W-w-what  do  you  mean?"  he  managed  to 
gasp. 

"Play  ball!"  yelled  the  crowd  impatiently. 

Jared,  his  fright  still  on  him,  pitched.  He  made 
a  wild  fling.  Rob  trotted  to  first  base.  Merritt 
boomeranged  to  second. 

Simon  Jeffords  got  his  base  on  balls,  advancing 
Rob  to  second  and  Merritt  to  third.  Everybody 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  7* 

began  to  sit  up  and  take  renewed  notice.  A 
home  run  now  would  add  four  to  the  Scout  score. 
Could  they  get  it  ?  Jared  had  shown  that  he  could 
hold  them  down.  Could  he  still  keep  up  his  gait  ? 

And  now  out  strolled  Tubby  Hopkins.  He 
paused  first  to  insert  a  huge  chunk  of  chewing 
gum  in  his  capacious  cheek  and  then,  not  noticing 
in  the  least  the  laughter  and  joking  that  greeted 
his  appearance,  he  lounged  to  his  place,  his  jaws 
moving  rhythmically. 

"It's  up  to  you,  Tubby.  Bring  home  the 
bacon !"  some  one  yelled. 

"He's  got  the  bacon  with  him,"  shouted  some 
other  humorist. 

Jared  fixed  his  eyes  quizzically  on  Tubby. 

"Like  a  bottle  of  anti-fat,  kid?"  he  sneered; 
and  then,  "Oh,  what  I  won't  do  to  you !  How  do 
you  like  'em  ?" 

Tubby  stopped  chewing  an  instant.  His  large 
eyes  opened  wide  as  if  he  had  just  heard  Jared's 
voice. 

"Oh,  I  like  'em  Panama  fashion,  if  you've  got 


76  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

any  of  those  about  you  to-day/'  he  said  with  a 
cherubic  smile. 

Zang!  came  the  ball.  It  was  as  swift  as  any 
that  Jared  had  yet  thrown.  He  would  have  liked 
to  see  it  knock  the  disconcerting  fat  youth  on  the 
head.  But  it  did  no  such  thing.  With  an  agility 
unsuspected  except  by  those  who  knew  him, 
Tubby  swung  viciously  at  the  spheroid. 

"Bin-go !"  yelled  the  rooters. 

Off  into  left  field  a  hot  liner  whizzed  its  way. 

"Go  on!"  shrieked  the  Eagles  and  their  sup- 
porters, dancing  up  and  down  in  excitement. 

Off  darted  Merritt  from  third.  He  shot  across 
the  home  plate  an  instant  later  and  scored  amidst 
loud  cheering.  Hot  after  him  flashed  Rob,  with 
Simon  close  behind.  Excitement  rose  to  a  point 
where  it  was  almost  unbearable. 

Tubby  had  shot  like  a  stone  from  a  sling  the 
instant  he  made  his  hit.  And  now  more  like  a 
steam  roller  the  fat  youth  cavorted  over  the  bases 
while  the  crowd  went  crazy.  Pandemonium 
reigned. 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  77 

"Home !  Home !  Home !"  shrieked  the  raucous 
crowd  in  a  frenzy. 

Boys  hugged  each  other  and  the  Scouts  danced 
up  and  down. 

Tubby,  with  amazing  speed,  his  short  fat  legs 
working  like  piston  rods,  flashed  by  first,  second 
and  third  bases.  The  next  instant  a  yell  went  up 
that  split  the  air.  A  rotund  form  sky-hooted 
across  the  home  plate  and  then,  tripping  up,  went 
rolling  like  a  tub  of  butter  into  the  arms  of  Rob 
and  his  team-mates.  Tubby  had  made  one  of 
the  most  sensational  plays  ever  seen  on  the 
Hampton  field,  and  foes  as  well  as  friends  gen- 
erously applauded  the  fat  boy.  But  he  paid  no 
attention  to  the  plaudits. 

"Great  Scotland !  I've  lost  my  gum,"  were  his 
first  words  on  being  helped  to  his  feet.  "Anybody 
got  a  chew  ?" 

"A  barrel  full,  if  you  want  them!"  yelled  the 
delighted  Scouts,  dancing  about  the  boy  who  had 
hit  out  a  home  run  with  bases  full. 

The  next  batter,  Walter  Lonsdale,  struck  out 


78  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Then  the  town  team  went  to  bat  for  its  last 

chance.    The  score  now  stood  thus : 

Eagles:  seven.  Hamptons:  six 

Rob  resumed  his  place  in  the  pitcher's  box. 
Higgins  struck  out.  But  Jared  got  his  base  on 
balls.  Maybe  Rob  was  overconfident.  Conners 
came  next.  Two  strikes  had  been  called  on  him, 
when  Rob,  like  a  flash,  hurled  the  ball  to  first. 
With  neatness  and  expedition  Jared  was  put  out. 

Incidentally,  Conners  had  been  so  rattled  by 
Rob's  pitching  that,  when  the  latter  threw  to  first, 
Conners  frantically  struck  at  an  imaginary  ball, 
causing  a  roar  of  laughter.  This  disconcerted 
him  so  badly  that  he  missed  the  next  ball  and 
struck  out. 

The  Scouts  had  indeed  snatched  victory  from 
the  jaws  of  defeat.  The  game  was  theirs  but  by 
so  narrow  a  margin  that  they  hardly  liked  to 
think  about  it. 

In  an  instant  the  crowd  broke  all  boundaries 
and  surged  about  the  victorious  Eagles. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  79 

"Three  cheers  for  Home-run  Tubby!"  yelled 
somebody. 

In  a  flash  the  fat  youth  was  hoisted  on  half  a 
dozen  shoulders.  Then  began  a  triumphal  march 
around  the  field  to  the  music  of  Andy  Bowles5 
bugle,  which  he  had  suddenly  produced  from 
some  mysterious  hiding  place. 

"You  see,  I  knew  that  I'd  need  it,"  he  explained 
afterward. 

Rob,  arm  in  arm  with  Merritt,  brought  up  the 
rear  of  the  tumultuous  riot  of  enthusiasts.  Sud- 
denly Rob's  eye  caught  sight  of  a  figure  in  the 
uniform  of  the  Hampton's  players  sneaking  up 
behind  a  corner  of  the  grand-stand  which  it  was 
evident  the  crowd  must  pass  in  their  march  of 
victory.  It  was  Jared  Applegate.  With  him  was 
the  same  young  man  the  boys  had  seen  in  the 
barn  the  week  before,  as  well  as  two  other  youths 
of  bad  character  in  the  village,  Hodge  Berry  and 
Maxwell  Ramsay. 

"What  mischief  is  Jared  up  to?"  breathed  Rob, 
clutching  Merritt's  arm. 


80  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"I  don't  know,  but  he  looks  as  sneaky  as  a 
pole  cat.  Let's  watch  him." 

The  two  scouts  followed,  at  a  slight  distance, 
the  group  of  which  Jared  was  the  center.  They 
saw  the  boys  that  they  were  watching  sneak  in 
behind  the  grand-stand,  while  Jared  stooped  and 
picked  up  a  heavy  stone.  As  the  crowd,  with 
Tubby's  rubicund  countenance  shining  above 
their  heads,  came  swinging  around  the  corner  on 
their  way  off  the  ball  field,  Rob  gave  a  sharp 
exclamation  and  sprang  forward. 

Like  a  flash  he  gripped  Jared's  arm  just  as  it 
was  about  to  launch  the  stone  at  Tubby's  head. 

"You — you  rascal!"  he  managed  to  exclaim, 
forcing  Jared's  arm  down  with  a  firm  wrist  hold. 

The  next  instant  Hodge  Berry  and  Max  Ram- 
say, both  of  whom  had  played  in  the  Hampton 
team,  sprang  at  Rob  furiously. 

"You're  going  to  get  a  licking  you  won't  for- 
get in  a  hurry,"  they  cried. 

The  crowd  had  swung  on,  not  noticing  the 
dramatic  scene  that  was  occurring  so  close  to 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  81 

them.  Rob  dropped  Jared's  wrist  and  turned  to 
face  his  opponents. 

Something  in  his  face  made  them  halt  an 
instant,  and  in  that  brief  space  of  time  Merritt 
was  at  his  side.  The  strange  youth  who  had  said 
nothing  so  far  now  started  to  speak,  but  Rob 
checked  him. 

Utterly  ignoring  the  others,  he  addressed  him- 
self to  Jared. 

"Well,  what  do  you  want?"  he  demanded. 

"I  want  to  get  square  with  you,"  replied  Jared 
in  a  furious  tone.  He  appeared  almost  beside 
himself  with  rage. 

"Humph!  and  so  you've  brought  a  bunch  of 
your  amiable  friends  along  to  help  you  in  case 
it  proved  too  big  a  job  to  tackle  alone." 

"See  here,"  exclaimed  the  stranger,  stepping 
forward  a  pace,  "I  don't  know  who  you  are  except 
by  name,  but  I'm  not  going  to  have  you  insult 
me.  Jared  here  is  a  chum  of  mine.  I  knew  him 
in  New  York " 

"Sorry  for  you,"  flashed  out  Rob  curtly. 


82  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"None  of  your  lip,"  growled  Max  Ramsay 
sullenly ;  and  yet,  so  electrical  had  the  atmosphere 
become,  and  so  capable  of  handling  himself  did 
the  clean-living  young  scout  look,  that,  uneven  as 
the  odds  were,  no  further  hostile  move  was  made. 

"Jared  said  he  had  a  bone  to  pick  with  you/' 
went  on  the  strange  youth.  "He  told  us  he  wanted 
to  have  it  out  with  you  Scouts.  He  invited  us 
along.  I'm  not  going  to  take  any  part  in  it,  you 
can  be  assured  of  that.  There'll  be  fair  play." 

"Like  stone  throwing,  for  instance,"  retorted 
Rob  contemptuously. 

"I  guess  you're  scared,"  sneered  Jared. 

"Who  says  so?" 

"I  do.    You  act  so.    You're  afraid  of  me." 

Jared  was  quite  quick  enough  to  see  that  Rob 
was  unwilling  to  get  into  a  fight.  The  leader  of 
the  Eagle  Patrol  abhorred,  above  all  things,  to  be 
mixed  up  in  a  disgraceful  set-to.  But  even  Rob, 
who  had  unusual  self-control,  was  fast  beginning 
to  lose  patience. 

"I  don't  know  what  harm  I've  ever  done  you, 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  83 

Jared,"  he  said  quietly,  "but  if  you  feel  so,  why 
I  can't  help  it." 

"I  hate  you,  Rob  Blake,"  exclaimed  Jared 
through  his  clenched  teeth,  "and  I'm  going  to 
polish  you  off  once  and  for  all, — do  you  hear  me  ?" 

"I'm  not  deaf.  Let  us  pass,  please,"  said  Rob, 
still  with  that  same  calm,  unruffled  manner. 

"Not  till  you've  given  me  satisfaction." 

Jared  interpreted  Rob's  manner  amiss.  He  was 
sure  now  that  Rob  would  avoid  a  fistic  discussion 
at  all  hazards.  He  determined  to  show  his  friends 
what  a  terrible  person  he  was. 

"Well,  you  heard  what  I  said,"  repeated  Jared, 
thrusting  out  his  jaw  and  stepping  closer  to  the 
unmoved  Rob,  "you've  got  to  give  me  satisfac- 
tion— understand  ?" 

"Do  you  want  me  to  fight  you?"  asked  Rob, 
without  the  flicker  of  an  eye. 

"Yes,  I  do,"  whipped  out  Jared  boldly. 

At  the  same  instant,  thinking  to  catch  Rob  ofl? 
his  guard,  he  aimed  a  vicious  blow  at  the  lad  in 
front  of  him.  Rob  merely  stepped  to  one  side. 


84  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Jared  almost  lost  his  balance  as  his  fist  encoun- 
tered thin  air,  and  just  saved  himself  from  taking 
an  ignominious  tumble. 

"So;  you're  a  coward,  eh?"  cried  Jared  furi- 
ously. 

"Possibly  that's  your  opinion,"  spoke  Rob 
calmly.  "I  don't  like  fighting,  Jared,  it's  not  gen- 
tlemanly and  it's  not  a  Scout  principle ;  but  if  you 
want  fight,  you're  going  to  get  it!" 

"Good  for  you !"  cried  Merritt,  who  had  stood 
silent,  well  knowing  Rob's  ability  to  handle  him- 
self, for  the  Scouts  had  many  friendly  sparring 
bouts  with  the  gloves.  The  noble  art  of  self- 
defense  was  cultivated  by  all  of  them,  but  as  a 
means  of  self-defense  and  for  the  joy  of  the  sport 
only. 

Rob  whipped  off  his  coat  in  a  jiffy.  Jared,  with 
a  slight  quiver  of  his  lower  lip,  did  the  same. 
Both  boys  stood  ready  to  defend  themselves,  and, 
while  the  shouts  of  the  crowd  bearing  Tubby 
aloft  died  away  in  the  distance,  the  fight,  into 
which  Rob  had  been  unwillingly  dragged,  began. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  85 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
SKIU,  VS.   MUSCLE). 

Jared  was  heavily  built  and  strong,  but  his 
science  was  nothing  to  boast  of.  Jared  had  never 
had  the  application  to  build  himself  up  physically. 
Yet  he  was  no  mean  opponent,  as  Rob  saw.  The 
leader  of  the  Eagles  was  not  as  heavily  muscled 
or  as  weighty  as  Jared,  but  he  more  than  made 
up  for  it  in  his  cat-like  quickness  and  ability  to 
spar. 

The  farmer's  son  saw  this  and  realized  that  his 
best  opportunity  to  put  a  quietus  on  his  hated 
opponent  was  to  land  a  heavy  blow  before  Rob's 
perfect  training  had  a  chance  to  assert  itself. 
He  rushed  in  wildly,  determined  to  battle  his  way 
through  Rob's  defense  and  beat  him  down  by 
sheer  weight  and  force. 

But  in  this  he  had  reckoned  altogether  without 
his  host.  Rob  cleverly  dodged  Jared's  savage 


86  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

swings,  and,  watching  his  opportunity,  countered 
with  amazing  swiftness.  None  of  the  onlookers 
saw  the  blow,  but  they  heard  the  sharp  crack  of 
Rob's  knuckles  on  Jared's  jaw.  As  for  Jared,  he 
beheld  a  swimming  galaxy  of  brilliant  constella- 
tions. 

Rob  saw  that  he  was  dazed  for  an  instant  and 
dropped  his  hands  to  his  side. 

"We'll  stop  right  here  if  you  like,  Jared,"  he 
said. 

"Not  much  you  won't,"  shouted  Jared,  shaking 
his  head,  "I've  only  begun." 

"Well,  don't  keep  on  the  way  you're  going," 
laughed  Merritt  cheerfully.  Jared's  friends  began 
to  look  rather  gloomy.  In  their  hearts  both  Max 
Ramsay  and  Hodge  Berry  felt  heartily  glad  that 
they  hadn't  tackled  the  Boy  Scout. 

Once  more  Jared  rushed  in  on  Rob.    A  second 
later  his  nose  stopped  a  solid  blow  straight  from 
the  shoulder.    It  felt  to  Jared  as  if  he  had  inad- 
vertently collided  with  the  rock  of  Gibraltar. 
!"  he  yelled  in  spite  of  himself. 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  87 

Then,  losing  his  head  completely,  he  rushed  at 
Rob  and  seized  him  in  a  wrestling  grip.  Rob, 
caught  off  his  guard,  lost  his  feet  and  the  two 
toppled  to  the  ground,  going  at  it  in  rough-and- 
tumble  fashion. 

"Magnificent,  but  not  war!"  cried  Merritt  as 
he  danced  about. 

Over  and  over  they  rolled,  Jared  managing  in 
this  style  of  battling  to  get  in  some  heavy  blows 
that  caused  Rob  to  gasp.  But  in  a  short  time 
Rob  had  Jared  fairly  howling  for  mercy. 

"Help!"  he  bawled  out,  "take  him  away,  you 
fellows !  He's  not  fighting  fair." 

•vDon't  be  a  cry  baby,"  was  all  the  consolation 
he  got  from  his  friends.  "Give  it  to  him  hard." 

Thus  counseled,  Jared  made  one  last  effort  to 
triumph  over  Rob.  He  suddenly  disengaged 
himself  and  jumped  to  his  feet.  Rob  was  up  as 
quick  as  the  other  and  met  Jared's  last  rush 
calmly.  Jared,  by  this  time,  had  lost  his  head 
utterly.  He  waved  his  arms  wildly  in  a  whirl- 
wind of  blows  that  Rob  contented  himself  by 


88  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

ducking  and  dodging.  He  had  no  wish  to  punish. 
Jared  any  more  severely. 

Suddenly  the  battle  came  to  an  abrupt  termina- 
tion, and  that  through  no  effort  of  Rob's.  It  had 
rained  the  week  before,  and  back  of  the  grand- 
stand was  a  depression  in  which  water  had  gath- 
ered in  sufficient  quantity  to  form  a  small 
pond. 

His  wild  evolutions  had  brought  Jared  close 
to  the  edge  of  this  miniature  lake.  The  ground 
there  was  muddy  and  slippery,  and,  before  he 
knew  what  had  happened,  Jared' s  feet  slipped 
from  under  him.  He  staggered,  clutching  at  the 
air  to  save  himself;  but  although  his  friends 
rushed  forward  to  help  him,  they  were  too  late. 
With  a  mighty  splash  the  luckless  Jared  toppled 
backward  into  the  pond. 

He  was  helped  out,  a  truly  pitiable  object ;  but 
even  his  friends  could  not  help  laughing  at  him. 
Plastered  with  mud  and  streaming  with  water, 
his  enraged  countenance  excited  nothing  but 
mirth. 

"Come  on,"  said  Max  Ramsay  as  soon  as  he 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  89 

could  for  laughing,  "we'll  get  you  to  the  buggy, 
Jared,  and  you  can  drive  out  home.  Good  thing 
you  won't  have  to  go  through  the  village." 

"Shake  hands,  Jared,"  exclaimed  Rob  impul- 
sively, for  the  moment  forgetting  what  they  had 
overheard  at  the  barn,  in  his  sympathy  for 
Jared's  plight. 

He  extended  his  hand,  but  Jared  dashed  it 
furiously  aside. 

"I'll  get  even  with  you,  you — you  tin  soldier !" 
he  shouted,  shaking  with  rage,  and  also  with  the 
chill  of  his  immersion. 

"I'm  sorry  you  feel  that  way  about  it,"  re- 
joined Rob,  as  he  turned  aside  and  put  on  his 
coat,  which  Merritt  had  held  for  him. 

"Yes,  and  you'll  be  sorrier  yet,"  snarled  Jared, 
as  his  friends  walked  him  off  toward  the  shed 
where  his  buggy  was  tied. 

Just   then,   from   across   lots,   there   came   a 


summons : 
tt 


Hey,  Rob !    Where  have  you  got  to  ?" 
"I'm  coming  right  along,"  was  Rob's  reply; 
*Vait  a  second." 


50  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

He  jammed  on  his  cap  and  stepped  out  from 
behind  the  grandstand.  Running  toward  him 
was  Tubby,  who  had  somehow  escaped  from  his 
admirers. 

"What's  up?"  cried  Rob,  as  he  saw  the  lad's 
flushed,  excited  face. 

"Say,  you  know  that  note  you  left  for  Mr. 
Mainwaring?" 

"Yes." 

"Well,  he's  just  got  back.  He's  over  in  that 
auto  yonder  and  asked  me  to  find  you  as  soon  as 
possible." 

Tubby  pointed  to  the  road  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  village,  where  a  big  torpedo-bodied  auto  was 
drawn  up.  In  it  was  seated  a  man  of  past  middle 
age,  with  iron-gray  hair  and  keen  eyes,  who  was 
watching  the  boys  closely  as  they  came  toward 
him. 

As  they  drew  nearer  he  got  out  of  the  car  and 
addressed  the  chauffeur. 

"You  needn't  wait  for  me,  Manning.  I'll  walk 
home,"  he  said- 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  Ml 


CHAPTER  IX. 
FIRE;! 

"A  most  remarkable  story;  but  I  happen  to 
know  certain  things  that  fit  in  with  it  in  every 
way.  Boys,  you  have  done  me  a  great  service 
to-day." 

Mr.  Mainwaring  paused  as  he  spoke  and  looked 
kindly  and  admiringly  at  the  three  Boy  Scouts 
who  had  unfolded  to  him  the  story  of  their 
experiences  at  the  old  barn.  The  tale  had  been 
told  as  they  strolled  along  the  road  leading  to 
the  engineer's  home,  on  a  hill  outside  Hampton. 

It  had  occupied  some  time  in  the  telling,  and 
dusk  was  drawing  in  so  that,  much  against  their 
will,  the  boys  were  compelled  to  decline  Mr. 
Mainwaring's  invitation  to  visit  his  library  and 
see  some  interesting  drawings  and  data  relating 
to  the  Panama  Canal.  But  they  made  an  engage- 
ment to  come  at  some  other  time  and  hear  from 


92  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

the  great  engineer  about  some  of  the  wonders 
that  had  been  accomplished  in  the  magic  land 
lying  nine  degrees  north  of  the  equator — a  land 
which,  so  far  as  the  Canal  Zone  is  concerned, 
has  been  turned  by  Uncle  Sam's  canal  commis- 
sion into  a  land  as  healthful  as  any,  if  due 
precautions  are  observed. 

It  was  almost  dark  as  the  boys  hastened  on 
their  homeward  way.  There  was  a  meeting 
called  in  the  Eagle  rooms  over  the  bank  that 
night,  and  they  were  all  three  in  a  hurry  to  get 
home  and  change  and  eat  supper.  As  they  walked 
along  at  a  brisk  pace,  the  conversation  naturally 
was  chiefly  concerned  with  the  topic  which  they 
had  just  been  discussing  with  Mr.  Mainwaring. 

"I  wonder  what  he'll  do  about  it?"  said  Mer- 
ritt. 

"Well,  as  he  said,  it's  a  mighty  delicate  matter 
as  things  are  now,"  rejoined  Rob.  "To  make  a 
hasty  move  might  force  the  plotters  to  rush 
things  before  any  precaution  could  be  taken 
against  them.  Even  to  take  Jared  before  the 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  9$ 

authorities  might  be  premature,  so  Mr.  Main- 
waring  said.  I  gathered,  in  fact,  that  he  means 
to  let  matters  lie  quiet  for  a  time  and  watch  every 
move  of  those  whom  he  suspects." 

"They  ought  to  clap  the  whole  outfit  in  jail," 
sputtered  Tubby,  "and  give  them  nothing  to 
eat  but  bread  and  water." 

"The  last  part  of  that  remark  would  be  a  fear- 
ful punishment  to  Tubby,  all  right,"  chuckled 
Merritt,  nudging  Rob. 

"What  a  lucky  chap  Fred  Mainwaring  is,"  said 
Rob  presently.  "Just  think,  when  his  father  goes 
back  to  Panama  he's  to  go,  too.  His  dad  says 
that  every  American  boy  who  can  ought  to  see 
the  Big  Ditch  before  the  water  is  in  it,  and  that, 
even  if  Fred  does  miss  some  schooling,  he  will  be 
getting  some  education  that  can't  be  obtained 
from  books." 

"That's  the  sort  I'd  like,"  sighed  Tubby,  who 
was  a  notoriously  unwilling  worshipper  at  the 
shrine  of  knowledge. 

"How  about  a  cook  book?'   Chuckled  Merritt 


9*  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

mischievously,  and  then  dodged  aside  just  in 
time  to  avoid  a  blow  from  Tubby's  chubby  fist. 

Suddenly,  behind  them  came  the  sound  of 
wheels  and  the  staccato  rattle  of  a  horse's  hoofs 
tapping  the  road  at  a  rapid  trot. 

"Out  of  the  road,  fellows,  here  comes  a  rig," 
cried  Rob. 

So  fast  was  it  coming  that  they  had  hardly 
time  to  step  aside  before  the  buggy,  which  held 
two  occupants,  was  beside  them.  The  driver 
pulled  the  horse  up  almost  on  its  haunches  and 
hailed  them  as  they  stood  in  the  dark  shadow  of 
some  big  maples  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

"Hey,  you  fellows !  Got  the  time  ?  We've  got 
to  make  that  seven-thirty  train  out  of  Hampton 
and  my  watch  is  broken." 

Rob,  and  his  companions,  too,  recognized  the 
voice  instantly. 

"It's  just  seven  o'clock,  Jared,"  said  Rob, 
"you'll  have  plenty  of  time." 

"Confusion,"  muttered  another  voice  in  the 
wrig,  that  of  the  strange  young  man  who  now 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  95 

appeared  to  be  Jared's  shadow.  "It's  those  Boy 
Scouts." 

Jared  picked  up  his  whip  and  aimed  a  vicious 
slash  into  the  darkness.  It  is  not  likely  that  he 
had  any  hope  of  striking  one  of  the  lads  he  dis- 
liked so  much,  but  he  intended  it  probably  just 
to  show  his  hatred  of  them  in  a  graphic  manner. 
The  next  instant  the  same  whip  cracked  over  the 
flanks  of  his  horse  and  the  buggy  dashed  off 
into  the  gathering  gloom. 

"Whew!"  whistled  Rob,  "so  Jared  is  going  to 
beat  a  retreat,  eh  ?" 

"Looks  like  it.  I  saw  a  suit  case  strapped  on 
the  back  of  that  rig." 

"We  ought  to  stop  him." 

"How?  By  what  right?  What  excuse  could 
we  offer  ?" 

"That's  so ;  but  just  the  same  it  looks  as  if  he's 
going  to  give  Mr.  Mainwaring  the  slip  and  join 
those  plotters  some  place." 

"It   certainly    does,"    admitted    Merritt.      "*I 


S€  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

guess  we  ought  to  call  up  Mr.  Mainwaring  and 
ask  him  if  there  is  anything  we  can  do." 

"That's  a  good  idea,  Merritt.  At  any  rate, 
having  done  that,  we  shall  have  performed  our 
duty." 

Hardly  had  the  words  left  his  lips  before  there 
came  booming  out  on  the  night  air  a  sound  that 
thrilled  them  all  to  the  heart.  Clear  and  loud, 
with  a  note  of  clamorous  terror,  there  came 
winging  toward  them  the  clang  of  the  fire  alarm ! 
Stroke  after  stroke  struck  with  a  heavy  hammer 
on  the  tire  of  an  old  locomotive  wheel — that  was 
the  only  alarm  Hampton  boasted.  The  wheel 
hung  outside  the  fire  house  of  the  Vigilant  En- 
gine Company  Number  One.  There  was  no 
Number  Two. 

"Gee  whiz,  fellows!  The  fire  alarm!"  cried 
Tubby,  pulling  up  short  in  the  road. 

They  stood  breathlessly  listening,  while  out  on 
the  dusk  the  clamorous  notes  of  the  steel  tocsin 
went  clanging  and  jangling.  A  thrilling,  soul- 
stirring  cry  at  any  time,  it  was  doubly  so  to  these 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  97 

lads,  members  of  a  body  enlisted  in  the  cause  of 
helping  those  who  needed  aid. 

They  were  standing  on  the  main  street  at  a 
point  where  the  stores  and  business  houses  had 
given  place  to  residences  surrounded  by  lawns 
and  trees.  Out  of  the  houses  there  came  rushing 
men  and  women  and  children,  all  in  high  excite- 
ment. 

"Fire,"  cried  some  of  the  men. 

"Where  ?"  came  back  in  a  dozen  voices. 

But  nobody  knew  accurately.  Suddenly  a  man, 
hatless  and  coatless,  came  sprinting  up  the  street. 

"It's  the  'cademy!"  he  was  yelling,  "the 
'cademy's  on  fire!" 

"The  Academy!"  gasped  Rob,  aghast  at  the 
thought  that  the  private  school  which  most  of 
the  boys  enrolled  as  Scouts  attended  was  in 
flames. 

"It's  up  to  us  to  do  something  and  do  it  quick !" 
he  cried  the  next  instant.  "Merritt,  run  as  quick 
as  you  can  to  Andy's  house.  Tell  him  to  sound 


98  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

the  Assembly.     There's  lots  of  work  for  the 

Eagles  to-night." 

A  boy  that  Merritt  knew  was  hastening  by  on 
a  bicycle. 

"Lend  me  your  wheel  for  Scout  duty,  will 
you?"  asked  Merritt  breathlessly. 

The  boy  eagerly  assented. 

"I  guess  they'll  need  all  the  help  they  can  get," 
he  volunteered  as  Merritt  sprinted  off  up  the 
street,  "my  pop  has  been  on  the  'phone  and  they 
say  it's  a  mighty  bad  blaze." 

It  seemed  an  eternity,  but  in  reality  it  was  only 
a  few  minutes  before  Merritt  reached  Andy's 
home.  The  little  bugler  was  just  rushing  out  as 
Merritt  dashed  up.  They  almost  collided. 

"Sound  the  assembly !"  panted  Merritt.  "The 
Academy's  on  fire." 

"Wow!  Wait  a  second.  I  knew  of  the  fire 
and  was  going  to  get  hold  of  Rob  for  instruc- 
tions." 

Andy  darted  back  to  the  house.  He  was  out 
again  in  a  flash  and  sounding  the  sharp,  clear 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  99 

notes  of  the  assembly  call.  Then  came  another 
urgent  summons,  the  quick,  imperative  "fire 
call." 

"There  go  the  firemen  on  the  run,"  exclaimed 
Andy,  as  several  of  the  Vigilants  dashed  by  the 
house.  "Come  on,  M«rritt;  the  others  will  all 
beat  it  to  the  fire-house  at  top  speed." 

"Rob's  already  there,  I  guess,"  panted  Merritt 
as  they  ran  side  by  side,  balancing  the  bicycle. 
As  they  proceeded,  Boy  Scouts  came  from  some 
of  the  houses  and  joined  them. 

"The  Academy !  The  Academy's  on  fire,"  they 
shouted. 

Against  the  darkening  sky  a  red  gush  of  flame 
leaped  up  suddenly. 

"Come  on,  fellows!"  implored  Merritt.  "It's 
going  up  like  a  pack  of  fire-works.  We've  got 
to  hustle  if  we  want  to  be  of  any  use." 


100  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  SCOUT  HERO. 

At  the  fire-house  they  found  Rob  and  Tubby 
helping  to  drag  out  the  antiquated  apparatus 
which  was  the  best  that  Hampton  boasted.  Glad 
enough  of  the  aid  of  the  Boy  Scouts,  the  firemen 
greeted  them  warmly.  They  recalled  a  former 
occasion  when  the  khaki-clad  lads  had  been  of 
signal  service  to  them. 

Accordingly,  while  some  of  the  men  hitched  up 
a  pair  of  bony  old  nags  to  the  engine,  and  others 
got  the  fire  lighted,  the  hose  cart  was  rushed  out 
and  the  ropes  unraveled. 

"Fall  in,  boys,"  shouted  Rob. 

They  obeyed  his  order  with  military  prompti- 
tude. The  long  rope  was  swiftly  seized.  Rob 
was  in  front,  as  became  the  leader  of  the  troop. 

"All  ready!"  came  the  cry. 

"Heave!"  shouted  Rob. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  101 

Like  one  boy  the  Eagles  bent  to  the  work.  Off 
they  scampered  down  the  street,  Andy's  bugle 
calling  to  clear  the  way.  Men  and  women  on 
their  way  to  the  fire  scattered  to  right  and  left 
as  the  hose  cart  came  lumbering  along,  drawn  by 
its  willing  young  escort  at  almost  as  fast  a  gait 
as  horses  could  have  dragged  it. 

"'Ray  for  the  Boy  Scouts,"  shrilled  a  small 
boy. 

The  excited  crowd  took  up  the  cry  as  the  hose 
cart  went  roaring  by,  speeding  toward  the  sin- 
ister glow  on  the  sky  ahead  of  them. 

A  throng  rushed  behind  it,  making  believe  to 
aid  greatly  by  pushing  the  lumbering  vehicle. 

Suddenly  a  terrible  thought  flashed  across 
Rob's  mind.  The  house  occupied  by  the  janitor 
of  the  school  was  undergoing  extensive  repairs 
and  he  and  his  family  had  been  given  temporary 
quarters  in  some  rooms  at  the  top  of  the  school 
building. 

The  sudden  realization  of  this  sent  a  thrill 


102  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

shooting  through  the  boy.     What  if  they  were 

caught  in  a  fiery  trap,  unable  to  escape? 

"Oh,  I  hope  they  are  all  right,"  Rob  found 
himself  muttering  half  aloud  as  at  the  head  of  a 
line  of  straining  boys  he  galloped  along. 

"Hey!  Here  comes  the  ingine,"  went  up  a 
sudden  shout  from  the  crowd  behind. 

Glancing  back  Rob  saw  the  engine,  the  pride 
of  the  Vigilants,  coming  careening  down  the 
street.  Its  whistle  wailed  in  a  melancholy  fashion 
and  from  its  stack  there  streamed  sparks  in 
sufficient  volume  to  render  timid  folks  apprehen- 
sive that  another  fire  would  be  started. 

"Pull  out!  Pull  out!"  cried  Rob,  as  he  saw  it, 
"here  comes  the  engine." 

But  there  was  no  need  to  tell  his  followers  that. 
Every  boy  in  the  village  knew  the  old  Vigilant 
and  had  seen  it  go  screeching  and  lurching  to  a 
dozen  fires.  They  rushed  the  hose  cart  up  on  the 
sidewalk  as  the  engine  came  swinging  nearer.  It 
looked  quite  inspiring  with  its  flaming  stack, 
hissing  jets  of  steam  and  thunder  of  horses' 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  103 

hoofs.  The  driver,  Ed  Blossom,  was  belaboring 
his  steeds  furiously. 

Suddenly,  out  into  the  middle  of  the  road 
darted  a  tiny  little  girl.  In  the  excitement  and 
confusion  no  one  noticed  her  at  first.  She  stood 
there  apparently  oblivious  of  the  approach- 
ing fire  engine  for  one  instant.  Then,  although 
she  saw  her  doom  thundering  down  on  her,  she 
still  stood  as  helplessly  as  a  tiny  bird  fascinated 
by  a  glowing-eyed  serpent. 

"Out  of  the  way!  Run!  Run!"  shrieked  a 
dozen  frenzied  voices  as  several  people  perceived 
the  child's  danger. 

"Great  Scotland!  She'll  be  killed,"  cried  Mer- 
ritt. 

The  engine  was  almost  opposite  the  hose  cart 
as  the  Scouts  took  in  the  scene,  but  with  one 
spring  Merritt  darted  right  in  the  path  of  the 
heavy  machine.  It  happened  so  quickly  that  no 
one  quite  knew  what  had  happened  until  they  saw 
a  second  figure  in  the  path  of  the  Juggernaut. 

To  snatch  up  the  child  was  the  work  of  an 


104  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

instant;  but  in  that  instant,  as  a  groan  from  the 
horror-stricken  onlookers  testified,  it  looked  as  if 
Merritt's  doom  had  been  sealed. 

Ed  Blossom  tugged  frantically  at  his  horses' 
bits  and  swerved  them  a  trifle  as  he  saw  what 
was  before  him.  As  Merritt  sprang  backward 
with  the  agility  of  an  acrobat,  clasping  the  child 
in  his  arms,  Ed  succeeded  in  swinging  just  a 
little  more.  The  horses  grazed  Merritt  as  they 
snorted  and  reared. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  crash  and  a  loud,  tear- 
ing, ripping  sound  and  the  rear  of  the  fire-engine 
was  seen  to  collapse  on  one  side.  In  pulling  out 
to  avoid  running  down  Merritt  and  the  little  girl, 
Ed  Blossom  had  quite  forgotten,  under  the  stress 
of  the  moment,  the  trees  that  grew  on  each  side 
of  the  road.  The  hub  of  the  rear  wheel  had 
struck  one  of  these  and  the  wheel  had  been  torn 
off  completely.  If  Ed  had  not  been  strapped  to 
his  seat  he  would  have  been  hurled  to  the  road. 

A  half  hysterical  woman  fell  on  Merritt's  neck 
and  covered  him  with  tearful  thanks.  Then  she 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  105 

snatched  up  the  child  and  vanished  in  the  crowd, 
leaving  the  Boy  Scout  free  and  greatly  relieved 
that  her  gratitude  was  to  be  spared  him  just  at 
that  time. 

There  was  a  quick  hand-clasp  from  Rob,  "Well 
done,  old  man."  And  then  they  all  turned  toward 
the  wreck  of  the  engine.  Steam  was  hissing  in 
clouds  from  the  crippled  bit  of  apparatus.  Mer- 
ritt  heard  someone  say  that  the  pump  had  been 
broken.  He  knew  then  that  the  engine  was  out 
of  commission  for  that  night. 

Men  had  already  unhitched  the  plunging 
horses  and  tied  them  to  a  tree.  But  it  was  soon 
evident  that  the  engine  must  lie  where  it  was  for 
the  present. 

"Can't  do  nawthin'  with  her,"  decided  the 
foreman  and  Ed  Blossom,  after  a  necessarily 
hurried  examination,  "but  say,"  continued  the 
foreman,  enthusiastically,  as  if  the  breakage  of 
the  engine  was  only  a  secondary  consideration, 
"that  rescue  of  the  little  gal  was  as  plucky  a 
thing  as  I  ever  seen." 


106  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

And  there  was  no  one  in  that  crowd  who  did 
not  agree  with  him.  But  there  was  no  time  to 
linger  by  the  engine.  The  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  push  on  to  the  fire.  The  crowd  rushed  along 
and  the  foreman  stopped  to  say  to  Rob  aside: — 

"You  boys  must  help  us  keep  the  crowd  back 
while  we  form  a  bucket  line ;  it's  our  only  chance 
to  save  the  place  now — and  a  mighty  slim  one," 
he  added,  as  again  a  red  tongue  of  flame  slashed 
the  dark  firmament  like  a  scarlet  scimitar. 

"There  goes  the  last  of  the  old  'cademy !"  cried 
a  man  as  he  saw.  "In  an  hour's  time  there  won't 
be  a  stick  of  it  left." 

Without  the  engine  to  pump  a  stream  through 
the  pipes,  the  hose  cart  was  useless  and  was  aban- 
doned where  it  rested.  Under  the  foreman's 
directions  the  Boy  Scouts  invaded  houses  and 
borrowed  and  commandeered  every  bucket,  pail 
or  can  they  could  find.  Everything  that  would 
hold  water  was  rushed  to  the  scene. 

There  was  a  creek  opposite  the  blazing  Acad- 
emy, and  while  the  Boy  Scouts  held  back  the 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  107 

crowd  the  firemen  formed  a  double  line  and 
passed  the  filled  utensils  rapidly  from  hand  to 
hand.  As  fast  as  they  were  emptied  they  came 
back  again  to  be  refilled  by  those  at  the  creek  end 
of  the  line.  With  improvised  staves,  cut  and 
broken  from  shrubs,  the  boys  held  the  crowd 
back.  The  method  was  this:  each  lad  held  the 
ends  of  two  staves,  the  other  ends  of  which 
were  grasped  by  his  comrades  on  either  side  of 
him.  This  formed  a  sort  of  fence  and  to  the 
credit  of  the  Hampton  citizens  be  it  said  they 
had  too  much  respect  for  the  good  work  of  the 
Boy  Scouts  to  try  and  press  forward  unduly. 

The  Boy  Scouts  were  on  duty  now.  Alert, 
watchful,  aching  to  be  taking  part  in  the  active 
scene  before  them,  they  schooled  themselves  into 
doing  their  best  in  the — by  comparison — hum- 
drum task  assigned  to  them. 

The  Academy,  an  aged  brick  building,  was 
wreathed  in  flames.  From  the  cupola  on  top, 
from  which  had  sounded  for  so  many  years  the 
morning  summons  to  study,  was  spouting  vivid 


108  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

fire.  They  could  see  Dr.  Ezekiel  Jones,  the  head 
of  the  school,  and  some  of  the  other  instructors 
running  about  in  the  brilliantly  lighted  grounds 
and  saving  armfuls  of  books  and  papers.  The 
fire  appeared  to  be  on  the  middle  floors.  At  any 
rate  up  to  this  time  it  had  been  possible  for  the 
men  bent  on  saving  what  they  could  to  dart  in 
at  the  big  front  doors,  reappearing  with  what 
they  had  been  able  to  salvage  from  the  flames. 

With  the  pitifully  inadequate  means  at  their 
command,  the  firemen  could  do  little  more  than 
work  like  fiends  at  passing  buckets.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  be  doing  something,  but  even  the  stoutest 
hearted  and  most  hopeful  of  the  onlookers  knew 
that  the  case  was  hopeless. 

Suddenly  there  appeared,  from  no  one  knew 
exactly  where,  a  little  pale-faced  man  with  sandy 
whiskers.  He  wore  overalls  and  was  hatless. 
A  woman,  a  white-faced  woman,  clung  to  his 
arm  desperately. 

"No,  Eben,"  she  kept  screaming,  "not  you,  too! 
Not  you,  too  I" 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  109 

"Let  me  go,  Jane!"  the  pallid  little  man  kept 
shouting  in  reply.  "It's  our  baby,  we've  got  to 
get  him  out !" 

He  made  a  struggle  toward  the  blazing  build- 
ing, but  the  woman  clung  to  him  frenziedly. 
Now  a  fireman  rushed  at  him  and  added  his 
strength  to  the  woman's. 

"Great  Scotland,"  gasped  Merritt,  who  stood 
next  to  Rob,  "it's  old  Duffy,  the  janitor,  and  his 
wife!" 

"What  is  it?"  cried  Rob,  without  replying,  as  a 
fireman  hastened  past  him.  "What's  the 
matter?" 

"Her  baby.  She's  left  it  in  the  'cademy,"  came 
the  choking  answer.  The  man,  whose  face  was 
white  with  helpless  horror,  hurried  on  to  obey 
some  order,  while  a  shudder  of  sympathy  and 
fear  ran  through  the  crowd.  Now  came  more 
details  as  men  hastened  back  and  forth.  The 
woman,  thinking  that  her  husband  had  the  baby, 
had  rushed  from  the  house  at  the  first  alarm. 
For  his  part,  old  Duffy,  the  janitor,  never  dream- 


110  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

ing  that  the  fire  would  gain  such  rapid  headway, 
had  tried  to  fight  it  alone,  thinking  all  the  time 
that  his  wife  had  the  infant.  The  true  situation 
had  just  been  discovered  and  the  man  was  frantic 
to  get  back  into  the  place  although  he  was  a  semi- 
invalid,  known  to  suffer  with  heart  disease. 

The  flames  were  leaping  up  more  savagely 
every  minute.  For  all  the  effect  that  the  feeble 
dribble  supplied  by  the  bucket  brigade  had,  they 
might  as  well  have  given  up  their  efforts. 

Rob  felt  his  heart  give  a  bound  as  he  watched 
the  janitor  and  his  wife  kindly,  but  firmly,  forced 
back. 

His  pulses  throbbed  wildly.  He  gave  one  look 
at  the  red  inferno  before  him.  Then, — 

"Here,  spread  your  arms  and  take  my  place 
in  line,"  he  snapped  out  suddenly  to  Merritt. 

The  next  instant  his  lithe  young  figure  darted 
across  the  flame-lit  open  space  in  front  of  the 
school.  He  knew  the  interior  of  the  old  building 
like  a  book,  and  that  would  aid  him  in  the  task 


AT   THE   PANAMA    CANAL  111 

he  had  steeled  himself  to  perform.  He  rushed  up 
to  the  group  about  the  shrieking  woman. 

"What  room  is  your  child  in?"  he  cried,  his 
heart  seeming  to  rise  in  his  throat  and  choke 
back  the  words. 

"That  one  on  the  south  corner,"  cried  the 
woman  mechanically,  staring  at  him  with  fright- 
ened eyes.  "See,  the  flames  are  getting  nearer 
to  it !  Oh,  my  baby !  My  baby !" 

She  gave  a  terrible  scream  and  sank  back.  Had 
they  not  caught  her  she  would  have  fallen.  When 
she  opened  her  eyes  again  there  was  a  roar  all 
about  her  that  was  not  the  roar  of  the  flames. 

It  was  the  tremendous,  awestricken  turmoil  of 
the  crowd.  They  had  seen  a  boyish  figure  dart 
from  the  fainting  woman's  side,  shake  off  a 
dozen  detaining  hands,  and  then,  wrapping  his 
coat  about  his  head,  dash  by  a  back  entrance 
into  the  burning  building. 

As  he  flung  open  the  door  and  vanished,  a 
great  puff  of  smoke  rolled  out.  The  cry  of  awed 
admiration  for  such  bravery  changed  to  a  groan 


112  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

of  despair, — the  terrible  voice  of  massed  human 
beings  seeing  a  lad  go  to  his  death.  For,  as  the 
flames  crackled  upward  more  relentlessly  than 
before,  it  did  not  seem  within  the  bounds  of  pos- 
sibility that  anyone  could  enter  the  place  and 
emerge  alive. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  113 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  FIRE  TEST. 

Touched  with  reckless  bravery,  foolhardiness 
in  fact,  as  Rob's  act  had  appeared  to  be,  yet  ha 
had  not  acted  without  taking  due  thought.  As 
always  in  emergencies,  his  mind  worked  with 
great  swiftness.  He  had  no  sooner  made  up  his 
mind  that  it  was  his  duty,  cost  what  it  might,  to 
save  that  innocent  little  one's  life,  than  he  had 
hit  upon  a  plan. 

If  the  child  was  lodged  in  the  center  of  the 
building,  he  knew  full  well  that  long  before  its 
life  must  have  been  yielded  up  to  the  fire  demon. 
But  if  the  quarters  of  the  janitor  were,  as  he 
believed,  in  the  south  corner  of  the  school,  then 
there  was  still  a  chance.  The  mother's  words 
had  put  him  out  of  all  doubt  on  this  score  and 
Rob  instantly  determined  to  face  the  most  daring 
act  of  his  life. 


114  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

The  rooms  at  the  south  side  of  the  building 
had  been  used  by  the  Academy  boys  as  a  gym- 
nasium before  their  present  quarters  were  built, 
so  that  Rob  was  thoroughly  familiar  with  the 
stairways  leading  to  them.  So  far  as  he  could 
see  it  would  be  possible,  by  using  a  side  door^ 
to  dodge  the  flames  shooting  up  the  center  of  the 
building.  There  was  a  winding  stairway  that 
existed  on  this  side  of  the  structure  quite  in- 
dependent of  the  main  flight  which,  by  this  time, 
must  have  fallen  in. 

With  Rob,  to  arrive  at  a  decision  was  to  act 
upon  it.  As  we  have  seen,  he  had  lost  no  time 
in  making  for  the  doorway.  He  had,  in  fact,  a 
double  reason  for  his  haste.  For  one  thing,  every 
second  would  count,  and,  for  another,  he  realized 
that  to  many  in  the  crowd  his  act  would  appear 
to  border  on  madness,  and  that  an  attempt  might 
be  made  to  hold  him  back. 

"The  boy's  a  fool !"  yelled  someone  in  the  crowd 
behind  Merritt. 

Quick  as  a  flash  Rob's  chum  faced  around, 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  115 

indignation  shining  in  his  eyes,  which  had,  a 
second  before,  been  dimmed  with  tears. 

"No,  sir ;  however  Rob  makes  out,  he's  a  hero," 
he  shot  back,  while  a  murmur  of  approbation  ran 
through  the  crowd. 

"Keep  your  places,  boys,"  he  ordered  the  next 
instant,  for  the  Scouts,  half  wild  with  anxiety 
and  excitement,  were  beginning  to  waver  and 
allow  the  crowd  to  surge  forward.  Merritt's 
words  stiffened  them.  In  a  moment  they  were 
recalled  to  a  sense  of  that  duty  of  which  they  had 
just  witnessed  such  a  conspicuous  example. 

The  instant  Rob  crossed  the  threshold  of  that 
door  he  found  himself  surrounded  by  smoke. 
But  he  bent  low,  and  throwing  his  coat  more 
closely  above  his  head,  he  crouched  on  all  fours 
so  as  to  get  below  the  level  of  the  acrid  fumes 
that  made  his  eyes  smart  cruelly.  Suddenly  he 
stumbled  over  something,  and  as  he  saw  in  the 
dim  light  what  it  was  he  gave  a  glad  gasp.  It 
was  a  bucket  of  water,  left  on  the  stairway  after 
the  regular  Saturday  scrubbing. 


116  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Rob  was  a  Scout  who  knew,  from  careful  study 
of  his  Manual,  just  what  to  do  in  emergencies. 
He  recalled  now  that  in  case  of  being  compelled 
to  enter  a  smoky,  blazing  building,  it  was  recom- 
mended to  bind  a  wet  cloth  over  mouth  and  nos- 
trils in  such  a  way  as  to  act  as  a  respirator.  In- 
stantly he  saturated  his  handkerchief  in  the  water 
and  bound  it  on  his  face  in  the  manner  advocated. 

Then  he  began  what  was  to  prove  a  terrible 
climb.  The  school  was  three  stories  in  height, 
the  lower  two  floors  containing  study  rooms  and 
offices  and  the  top  floor  lumber  rooms  and  the 
apartments  occupied  temporarily  by  the  janitor. 

Breathing  with  more  ease  now  that  he  had 
bound  up  his  face,  Rob  fought  his  way  upward. 
It  was  as  murky  as  a  pit,  and  it  seemed  that  the 
stairs  were  interminable.  Suddenly  he  stumbled 
and  fell  headlong.  He  had  gained  the  first  land- 
ing. Through  a  door  opening  upon  it  jets  of 
flame,  like  serpents'  tongues,  were  beginning  to 
shoot  Rob  staggered  toward  the  door  and 
slammed  it  to.  He  knew  that  this  was  abso* 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  117 

lutely  necessary,  for  in  the  case  of  the  stair- 
case being  in  flames  when  it  came  time  for  him 
to  retrace  his  steps  his  retreat  would  be  cut  off. 

But  that  was  a  thought  he  did  not  dare  to 
dwell  upon.  Steeling  himself  anew  he  pushed 
stubbornly  on  to  the  next  flight. 

"It's  lucky  I  know  this  place  as  well  as  I 
do,"  he  thought,  as  he  gamely  kept  up  the  fight 
against  what  appeared  almost  overwhelming 
odds. 

As  he  climbed  higher  it  grew  hotter.  The 
place  was  like  the  interior  of  a  volcano.  Beyond 
the  wall  of  the  stairway  Rob  could  hear  the  flames 
roaring  like  the  beat  of  the  surf  on  a  rocky  coast. 
It  almost  seemed  as  if  the  fire  demon  possessed 
an  articulate  voice  and  was  howling  his  rage 
and  defiance  at  the  boy  who  had  dared  to  face 
his  terrors.  But,  hot  as  it  was  growing,  Rob 
yet  found  some  small  grain  of  comfort  in  the 
fact  that  the  smoke  was  not  so  thick. 

He  breathed  more  freely  even  if  his  throat 
was  becoming  dry  as  dust  and  whistled  in  an 


118  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

odd  way  as  he  climbed  higher.    At  last  he  reached 

the  summit  of  the  second  flight. 

He  paused  irresolutely  on  the  landing.  Several 
iloors  opened  off  it.  Now  that  he  was  actually 
there,  Rob  was  confused  for  an  instant.  He 
was  not  quite  so  sure  of  his  bearings  as  he  had 
thought  he  would  be.  But  the  roar  of  the  flames 
below  and  about  him  warned  him  to  lose  not  a 
second  of  precious  time  in  procrastination. 

He  plunged  into  the  door  nearest  at  hand. 
Within  he  found  himself  in  a  room  which  was 
evidently  a  dining  room.  Supper  was  ready 
spread  on  the  table.  A  lamp  illumined  the  scene. 
How  odd  it  seemed  to  be  gazing  at  this  peaceful 
domestic  setting,  while  below  and  to  one  side  of 
him,  devouring  flames  were  roaring  and  leaping. 
Save  for  a  strong  smell  of  smoke  and  a  slight 
bluish  haze,  the  room  might  have  been  a  thou- 
sand miles  away  from  the  flaming  building  in 
which  it  was  located. 

Suddenly,  as  the  boy  stood  there  looking  swiftly 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  119 

about  him,  there  came  a  crash  that  shook  the 
whole  place  like  an  earthquake. 

"A  floor's  fallen !"  gasped  Rob.  "Pray  heaven 
it's  not  taken  any  part  of  that  stairway  with  it !" 

Brave  as  he  was,  the  young  scout  turned  pale 
and  actually  shook  for  an  instant  like  a  leaf. 
He  knew  full  well  that  if  that  stairway,  or  any 
part  of  it,  was  gone,  he  was  doomed  to  die  as 
irrevocably  as  if  a  death  sentence  had  been  pro- 
nounced upon  him.  All  at  once,  from  a  room 
opening  off  the  dining  room  came  a  wailing  cry. 

"Muvver!    Muvver,  I'se  fwightened!" 

Rob's  heart  gave  a  quick  bound  and  he  gal- 
vanized into  instant  action,  a  great  contrast  to 
his  temporary  state  of  stupefaction ! 

"All  right,  youngster.  Don't  cry,  I'm  coming," 
he  called  out,  plunging  forward. 

Inside  the  room  was  a  small  crib,  with  a  child 
about  three  years  old  lying  on  it  clasping  a  doll 
in  her  arms. 

"Who's  oo?"  she  demanded  in  some  alarm,  as 


120  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

Rob,  with  his  handkerchief  tied  over  his  face, 

advanced. 

"Me?  Why — why,  I'm  a  fireman,"  exclaimed 
Rob;  and  then,  with  an  inspiration,  "Let's  play 
that  the  place  is  on  fire  and  I'm  going  to  save 
you." 

The  child  clapped  her  hands  and  her  eyes 
shone.  Rob  picked  her  out  of  her  crib  and  cac- 
ried  her  tenderly  out  of  the  room. 

"Now  I'm  going  to  cover  your  face  just  like 
real  firemen  do,"  he  said,  as  they  emerged  on 
the  landing  and  the  hot  breath  of  the  furnace 
below  was  spewed  up  at  them. 

"Is  dat  in  de  game,"  inquired  the  child  doubt- 
fully, "an'  will  oo  cover  dolly's,  too?" 

"Yes,  it's  all  part  of  the  game,"  Rob  reassured 
her.  "Now  then,  there  we  are." 

He  enveloped  the  child  in  his  coat  which  he 
had  already  removed  and  started  for  the  landing. 
Suddenly  he  stopped,  and  from  under  the  coat 
came  a  muffled  but  inquisitive  voice: 

"Is  'oo  cwyin',  Mister  Fireman?" 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  1S1 

No,  Rob  was  not  crying;  but  he  had  just  seen 
something  that  made  his  breath  come  heavingly 
and  his  heart  almost  stop  beating.  Below  him  he 
could  see  a  dull  red  glow,  growing  momentarily 
brighter.  No  need  was  there  for  him  to  specu- 
late on  what  that  meant. 

The  stairway  was  on  fire.  His  one  means  of 
escape  from  the  blazing  building  was  cut  off. 

For  an  instant  Rob's  head  swam  dizzily.  He 
felt  sick  and  shaky.  Was  he  to  die  there  in  that 
inferno  of  flames  ?  A  cry  was  forced  wildly  from 
his  cracked  lips. 

"Not  like  this!  Oh,  not  like  this!"  he  begged, 
raising  his  eyes  upward. 


122  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER    XII. 
IN  PERIL  OF  HIS  UFE. 

In  the  meantime,  outside  the  building  suspense 
had  reached  almost  the  breaking-  point.  The 
Scouts  still  stood  steady  and  staunch,  but  their 
faces  were  white  and  drawn.  When  the  crash 
that  announced  the  falling  floor  came,  a  man, 
wrought  beyond  the  bearing  point,  cried  out: 

"There  goes  his  last  chance,  poor  kid!" 

"Shut  up,  can't  you,"  breathed  a  fierce,  tense 
voice  in  his  ear  the  next  instant.  "Don't  you  see 
his  father  and  mother  back  there?" 

It  was  only  too  true.  Attracted  by  the  excite- 
ment, Rob's  father  and  mother  had  driven  to  the 
scene  in  their  car.  They  reached  it  just  in  time 
to  hear  of  Rob's  heroic  act.  Now,  white-faced 
and  trembling,  they  sat  hand  in  hand  wretchedly 
waiting  for  news.  As  time  passed  and  the  flames 
rose  higher  without  a  sign  of  the  daring  lad, 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  123 

their  hearts  almost  ceased  to  beat.  Seconds 
seemed  hours,  minutes  eternity. 

Then  suddenly  came  a  fearful  cry.  On  the 
roof  there  had  appeared  the  figure  of  Rob  with 
a  bundle  which  the  crowd  readily  guessed  to  be 
the  janitor's  child  clasped  tightly  in  his  arms. 
The  flames,  leaping  from  the  cupola,  illumined 
his  form  brightly  and  showed  his  pale,  tense  face. 
Thwarted  in  his  effort  to  descend  by  the  stair- 
way, Rob  had  managed  to  reach  the  roof  through 
a  scuttle. 

"He's  done  it !  Hurrah !  The  boy's  saved  the 
baby !"  went  up  an  ear-splitting  cry  from  the  un- 
thinking in  the  crowd. 

The  others  knew  only  too  well  that  the  reason 
that  Rob  had  appeared  on  the  roof  betokened 
the  terrible  fact  that  his  escape  had  been  cut  off. 
He  was  making  a  last  desperate  stand,  with  the 
flames  drawing  closer,  and  threatening  to  burst 
through  the  roof  at  any  moment. 

Every  eye  in  that  crowd  was  fixed  on  the  soli- 
tary figure  on  the  roof. 


124:  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Ladders!  Get  ladders,"  yelled  the  foreman, 
hoping  against  hope  that  one  could  be  found 
tall  enough  to  reach  to  that  height. 

Rob  came  forward  to  the  cornice,  and  looked 
over  as  if  gauging  the  height.  They  saw  him 
shake  his  head.  Then  he  looked  behind  him. 
Alas,  there,  too,  all  hope  of  escape  was  cut  off. 
Between  himself  and  an  iron  fire-escape  at  the 
back  of  the  building,  tongues  of  flame  were  now 
shooting  through  the  roof. 

"He's  shouting  something.  Keep  still,  for 
heaven's  sake !"  came  Merritt's  voice  suddenly. 

A  death-like  silence  followed.  Then  above  the 
roar  and  crackle  came  a  faint  sound.  It  was  Rob 
calling  out  some  commands. 

"A  rope ! — shoot  it  up  here,"  was  all  they  could 
distinguish. 

Merritt  darted  forward  and  stood  below  the 
walls. 

""Louder,  Rob!     Louder!"  he  besought. 

"A  rope!  Bow — arrow — shoot  it  up!"  came 
Rob's  voice,  audible  to  few,  but  his  chum  Merritt 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  125 

was  the  only  one  that  understood.  He  was  back 
among  the  Scouts  in  a  flash.  He  seized  Paul 
Perkins  by  the  shoulder. 

"Paul,  your  house  is  nearest.  Run!  Run  as 
you  never  ran  before  and  get  your  archery  bow 
and  lots  of  arrows." 

Paul  didn't  stop  to  ask  the  meaning  of  this 
strange  command,  but  darted  off  at  top  speed,  the 
crowd  opening  for  him. 

"Ropes!  Ropes  and  lots  of  string!"  shouted 
Merritt  next,  appealing  to  the  throng.  Those 
who  were  closest  realized  that  a  plan  to  save 
Rob — although  what  it  was  they  couldn't  imagine 
— was  to  be  tried.  Neighbors  of  the  Academy 
ran  off  at  once  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  Scouts 
were  busy,  under  Merritt's  directions,  knotting 
ropes  together  to  form  one  long  line. 

When  this  had  been  done,  Merritt  measured 
with  his  eye  the  height  of  the  Academy  walls. 
Then  he  set  them  to  work  knotting  light  twine 
together  in  as  long  a  line  as  they  could  make. 


126  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

By  this  time  Paul  was  back  with  the  bow  and 

arrow  that  the  Scouts  used  at  archery  practice. 

"Give  it  here,"  ordered  Merritt  tersely  if  un- 
grammatically. 

What  he  was  going  to  try  was  a  repetition 
of  the  trick  that  had  rescued  some  of  the  Eagle 
Patrol  when  they  were  imprisoned  on  the  top 
of  Ruby  Glow  in  the  Adirondacks  on  their 
memorable  treasure  hunt. 

With  a  hand  that  was  far  from  steady,  Merritt 
knotted  the  end  of  the  light  string  to  an  arrow. 
Then,  placing  the  arrow  in  position,  he  drew  the 
bow.  It  was  plain  enough  to  the  dullest-witted 
now  what  he  meant  to  do.  His  plan  was  to  shoot 
the  arrow,  with  the  string  attached,  up  on  the 
roof  where  Rob  could  seize  it.  This  done,  it 
would  be  possible  for  the  latter — if  he  had  time — 
to  haul  up  the  rope,  knot  it  to  a  chimney  and 
slide  down.  It  was  a  daring,  desperate  plan,  but 
none  other  offered,  and  the  fact  that  Rob  had 
suggested  it  showed  that  his  nerve  was  not  likely 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

to  fail  him  in  what  might  be  aptly  described  as 
a  supreme  test. 

Amid  a  dead  silence  Merritt  let  the  arrow 
fly.  It  shot  through  the  air,  but  instead  of  reach- 
ing the  roof  it  struck  the  wall  and  rebounded.  A 
cry  went  up  from  the  watching  crowd  as  it  fell, 
having  failed  to  accomplish  its  purpose.  If  Rob's 
face  changed  as  he  stood  up  there  on  the  edge 
of  the  fire-illumined  roof,  it  was  not  visible  to 
those  below  him,  keen  as  his  disappointment  must 
have  been. 

But  Merritt  was  almost  sobbing  as  he  picked 
up  the  arrow  and  fitted  it  afresh  for  another 
trial.  As  he  drew  the  bow  with  every  ounce  of 
strength  he  possessed,  his  lips  moved  in  prayer 
that  his  next  effort  might  be  successful.  At 
any  moment  now,  the  foreman  of  the  fire-fighters 
told  him,  the  roof  might  collapse,  carrying  with 
it  the  brave  boy  and  his  childish  burden. 

On  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd,  too,  a  white- 
faced  man  and  woman  were  imploring  Divine 
Providence  to  nerve  Merritfs  arm  and  aim.  For 


128  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

one  instant  the  bowstring*  was  drawn  taut  till 
it  seemed  that  the  bow  must  snap  under  the 
terrific  pressure. 

Then  suddenly  the  string  fell  slack,  the  arrow 
whizzed  through  the  air  and  a  mighty  cheer  split 
the  sky  as  it  winged  true  and  swift  to  the  roof 
top,  falling  almost  at  Rob's  feet.  Hand  over  hand 
he  drew  in  the  string,  and  at  last  he  had  hauled 
up  enough  rope  to  knot  one  end  fast  about  some 
ornamental  stone  work  at  a  corner  of  the  build- 
ing. 

While  doing  this  he  had  laid  the  child  down. 
Now  he  was  seen  to  pick  her  up  again,  and 
holding  her  in  his  arms  for  an  instant  he  ap- 
peared to  consider.  To  slide  down  that  rope  he 
must  have  at  least  one  arm  free.  How  was  he 
going  to  do  it?  The  crowd  almost  forebore  to 
breathe  as  they  sensed  what  the  boy  on  the  roof 
was  puzzling  over. 

It  was  Rob's  scout  training  that  solved  the 
problem — one  of  life  and  death  for  him — as  tht 
same  training  is  doing  all  over  the  world  for 


The  Arrow  whizzed  through  the  air  *  *  *  *,  falling  almost 
at  Rob's  feet. — Page  128. 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  129 

lads  in  every  grade  of  life  to-day.  He  was  seen 
to  give  the  child  some  emphatic  instructions  and 
then  throw  her  over  his  left  shoulder  much  as 
he  might  have  done  with  a  bag  of  meal.  In  this 
position  the  child's  head  hung  down  between  his 
shoulders.  Her  legs  were  across  his  chest. 

Seizing  the  baby's  left  arm  so  that  it  came 
over  his  right  shoulder,  Rob  extended  his  left 
hand  between  its  knees  and  grasped  the  little 
one's  wrist  firmly.  In  this  position  she  was  held 
perfectly  securely  in  what  all  Boy  Scouts  know 
as  "The  Fireman's  Lift,"  one  of  the  most  useful 
accomplishments  a  Boy  Scout  can  master. 

This  done,  the  most  difficult,  dangerous  part 
of  Rob's  task  came.  He  had  to  slide  down  that 
rope  with  his  burden  on  his  shoulder  with  only 
his  right  arm  and  his  legs  to  depend  on  for  a 
grip.  But  it  had  to  be  done.  Without  hesita- 
tion he  swung  himself  from  the  coping  and 
gripped  the  rope. 

For  one  terrible  instant  he  shot  down  for  a 
foot  or  so  before  he  succeeded  in  checking  his 


130  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

downward  plunge.  But  his  knees  gripped  the 
rope  and  his  right  arm  stood  the  strain,  although 
he  felt  as  if  it  must  snap. 

How  he  reached  the  ground  Rob  never  knew. 
Those  last  terrible  moments  on  the  roof  had  come 
rery  near  to  breaking  his  nerve.  He  was  con- 
scious of  a  sudden  flare  of  light  and  a  crash  as 
his  feet  touched  the  ground.  It  crossed  his  mind 
hazily  that  part  of  the  roof  must  have  fallen  in — 
perhaps  the  part  on  which  he  had  been  standing. 
Then  came  a  rush  of  feet,  shouts,  cries,  and  arms 
flung  about  him,  and  through  it  all  Rob  could 
hear  his  mother's  glad  cry  of  relief  after  the 
awful  tension  she  had  endured.  He  tried  to  say 
something  and  failed,  and  then  everything  raced 
round  and  round  him  at  breakneck  speed. 

"He's  fainting!"  he  was  conscious  that  some- 
body was  shouting,  and  he  could  hear  himself, 
only  it  seemed  like  somebody  else,  saying : 

"No,  I'm  all  right,"  and  then  everything  grew 
blank  to  the  Boy  Scout  who  had  won,  through 
"Being  Prepared"  for  a  great  emergency. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  131 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
THE:  ENEMY'S  MOVE. 

Rob  Blake  was  sitting-  on  the  porch  of  his  home 
in  Hampton.  In  his  hand  was  a  book  on  Wood- 
craft. But  he  was  not  just  now  devoting  his 
attention  to  the  volume.  Instead  he  let  it  hang 
idly  from  one  hand  while  he  gazed  up  through 
the  maple  tops  and  dreamed  of  many  things.  As 
Rob  himself  would  have  put  it,  the  "spring  was 
in  his  blood."  More  strongly  than  usual  that 
morning  he  felt  the  "red  gods  calling." 

Suddenly  two  hands  were  thrown  over  his  eyes 
from  behind  and  a  voice  cried: 

"Surrender,  you  leader  of  the  Eagles !  That's 
one  time  you're  caught  napping." 

"Tubby!"  exclaimed  Rob,  springing  up  and 
facing  round. 

"How  in  the  world  did  you  get  in?"  he  asked 


132  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

the  next  minute.  "I  never  heard  you  coming, 
and " 

He  broke  off  with  a  laugh  as  his  eyes  fell  on 
a  big  section  of  apple  pie  with  one  crescent-shaped 
bite  missing,  that  the  fat  boy  was  regarding  affec- 
tionately. 

"Oh,  I  see.    The  back  door,  eh?"  he  inquired. 

"Ye-es,"  drawled  Tubby,  "and  I  must  say  your 
cook  makes  good  pie  and  is  inclined  to  look  favor- 
ably on  a  starving  Scout." 

"Starving!  Why,  it's  not  two  hours  since 
breakfast!" 

"Well,  two  hours  is  a  long  time — sometimes," 
mumbled  Tubby,  who  had  taken  another  bite 
while  Rob  was  speaking. 

"What  news  from  the  Academy,  Tubby?" 

"Haven't  you  heard?  They  haven't  been  able 
to  find  another  building  big  enough  to  house  the 
scholars,  so  I  guess  it's  a  holiday  till  the  begin- 
ning of  September  for  all  of  us,"  cried  Tubby 
with  shining  eyes.  "Hullo,  what's  that?  A 
Latin  grammar?" 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL 

He  picked  up  a  volume  that  lay  on  an  ad- 
joining chair.  He  regarded  it  attentively  for  a 
few  seconds  and  then  flung  it  forth  into  the 
garden  where  it  landed  in  a  rose  bush. 

"Let  it  lie  there  till  September,"  he  chuckled. 
"Well,  how  are  you  anyhow,  old  fellow?"  he 
rattled  on.  "It's  a  week  since  the  fire  and  you 
ought  to  be  feeling  fit  again." 

"Never  felt  better  in  my  life,  although  I  waa 
knocked  out  quite  a  bit;  but  you  see  I've  had 
very  good  care,  and " 

"Oh  yes,  Lucy  Mainwaring  has  been  to  see  you 
— once  or  twice,  hasn't  she?"  and  Tubby,  with 
an  air  of  apparent  abstraction,  fell  to  studying  a 
white  cloud  that  happened  to  be  drifting  by  far 
above  them.  Suddenly  he  faced  about  with  a 
mischievous  laugh. 

"You  looked  sort  of  pale  when  I  came  in,  Rob," 
he  chuckled,  "but  you've  got  plenty  of  color  now." 

Rob,  boy-like,  looked  embarrassed  and  changed 
the  subject  rather  abruptly. 


134  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Everything  fixed  for  that  meeting  at  head- 
quarters to-night?"  he  asked. 

A  rather  odd  look  passed  over  the  fat  boy's 
face. 

"Oh  yes,  it's  all  ready,"  he  said  with  rather  a 
marked  emphasis  on  the  words. 

"Good;  you  and  Merritt  must  have  worked 
hard." 

"We've  all  taken  our  part.  The  hall  looks 
bully.  It'll  be  dandy  to  have  you  around  again." 

The  meeting  the  boys  referred  to  was  the 
regular  weekly  meeting  of  the  patrol.  But  when 
Rob  reached  the  hall  above  the  bank  that  night 
he  felt  rather  astonished  to  find  that  chairs  and 
stools  had  been  arranged  all  over  the  spacious 
hall,  and  that  decorations  consisting  of  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  and  the  Eagle  Patrol  flags  were 
strung  everywhere.  Off  the  main  hall  opened 
the  Scouts'  gymnasium  and  general  store  room. 
In  this  room  Rob  found  his  Scouts  assembled. 
They  greeted  him  with  a  cheer  as  he  appeared. 
Rob  began  to  feel  uneasy.  He  hated  anything 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  135 

like  that,  but  he  took  the  congratulations  that 
were  showered  upon  him  in  the  spirit  in  which 
they  were  offered. 

When  he  found  an  opportunity  he  drew  Merritt 
aside. 

"What  are  all  the  chairs  arranged  outside 
for  ?"  he  asked  suspiciously. 

"Oh,  just  so  that  the  folks  can  see  what  we've 
been  doing  with  our  time  during  the  winter," 
was  the  reply.  "We've  arranged  some  single 
stick  bouts  and  an  exhibition  drill  and  so  on — 
you  don't  mind,  do  you?" 

"No,  it's  a  fine  idea,"  declared  Rob  warmly. 
"How  soon  will  the  company — audience  I  mean 
— arrive  ?" 

"Guess  they're  beginning  to  come  now,"  said 
Merritt  as  the  sound  of  feet  tramping  into  the 
hall  became  audible. 

"Better  send  out  Walter  and  Martin  to  act  as 
ushers,  hadn't  you?" 

"Yes,  I  guess  so,"  and  Merritt  hastened  off 


136  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

to  dispatch  the  two  second  class  Scouts  referred 
to. 

The  hall  filled  rapidly.  In  the  front  rows  Rob 
could  see  his  parents  and  beside  them  Commo- 
dore Wingate,  the  scout  master  of  the  district, 
and  the  parents  of  most  of  the  boys.  The  other 
chairs  were  filled  with  villagers  and  all  at  once — 
Rob's  heart  beat  rather  quicker — down  the  aisle 
came  the  Mainwaring  party.  They  took  the 
three  seats  which  had  been  apparently  reserved 
for  them  close  to  Rob's  parents. 

Little  Andy  Bowles,  who  arrived  late,  came 
into  the  gym  in  a  state  of  high  excitement. 

Like  most  of  the  other  scouts  he  had  come 
in  by  the  back  stairway  which  led  directly  into 
the  gym.  He  came  straight  up  to  Rob. 

"Say/'  he  exclaimed,  after  he  had  given  the 
scout  salute  and  congratulated  his  leader,  "say, 
who  do  you  think  are  hanging  about  outside  ?" 

"No  idea,"  rejoined  Rob. 

"Why,  Hodge  Berry  and  Max  Ramsay  and 
some  of  that  bunch.  They  pretended  not  to 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  137 

notice  me,  but  I'm  sure  they're  up  to  some  mis- 
chief. I  could  tell  that  by  the  way  they  sneaked 
off  when  they  saw  me." 

"I  don't  see  what  harm  they  can  do  us,"  re- 
joined Rob,  "although  I  don't  doubt  they'd  like 
to  work  off  some  mean  trick.  Run  along  and  put 
on  your  best  uniform,  Andy,  you're  late." 

Everyone  of  note  in  Hampton  was  in  the  hall 
by  this  time,  and  when  Commodore  Wingate 
arose  to  make  a  preliminary  address  he  was 
warmly  applauded.  He  dwelt  at  some  length  on 
the  new  spirit  that  the  Boy  Scouts  had  brought 
into  Hampton,  and  explained  that  while  some 
misinformed  persons  appeared  to  think  that  the 
scout  movement  was  a  warlike  one,  it  was  in 
reality  a  great  influence  for  peace.  He  reviewed 
the  work  of  the  Eagles  for  the  past  year  and 
enumerated  at  some  length  the  various  services 
they  had  done  in  the  village.  These  included  the 
clearing  up  and  beautifying  of  vacant  lots,  the 
aiding  of  indigent  or  poor  people,  many  little  acts 
of  kindness  and  help,  and  the  setting  generally 


138  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

of  a  good  example  to  the  youth  of  the  town  and 
neighborhood. 

"But,"  he  went  on  to  say,  after  an  impressive 
pause,  "it  remained  for  the  well-remembered 
night  of  the  Academy  fire  to  bring  into  notice  the 
two  most  conspicuous  acts  of  heroism  the  scouts 
have  yet  performed. 

"I  doubt  if  the  annals  of  the  Boy  Scouts  of 
any  country  show  two  more  noble,  self-sacrific- 
ing acts  than  those  performed  on  that  night  by 
Leader  Rob  Blake  of  the  Eagles," — here  such 
loud  applause  broke  out  that  the  speaker  was 
compelled  to  pause  for  some  minutes.  When 
quiet  was  restored  he  went  on,  "and  Merritt 
Crawford,  his  able  lieutenant."  More  applause. 

While  this  was  going  on  Rob  was  shaking  his 
fist  at  Merritt  indignantly.  Modest  as  most  true 
heroes,  he  had,  of  course,  already  quietly  received 
the  thanks  of  the  janitor's  wife  and  the  man  him- 
self for  his  daring  rescue  and  hoped  that  the 
matter  would  end  there.  But  this  public  ac- 
knowledgment was  too  much  for  him.  As  for 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  139 

Merritt,  he  was  chuckling  for  a  minute,  but  as 
his  own  name  was  announced  he  turned  a  fiery 
red  and  cried  out  in  a  voice  that  was  audible  to 
the  front  rows: 

"Commodore,  I  thought  you  were  going  to 
leave  me  out!" 

This  caused  a  great  laugh  among  those  who 
heard  it,  and  Rob  felt  revenged.  But  the  worst 
ordeal  for  the  two  boys  still  was  ahead  of  them. 
Above  the  din  of  applause  that  greeted  the  close 
of  Mr.  Wingate's  speech,  they  heard  that  gentle- 
man cry  for  silence.  When  quiet  was  restored 
he  turned  around  toward  the  gymnasium  door 
and  cried: 

"I  now  ask  Rob  Blake  and  Merritt  Crawford 
to  come  forward  and  receive  a  slight  token  of 
esteem  from  their  fellow  townsmen." 

"Go  on!"  cried  the  Scouts  behind  Rob  and 
Merritt,  under  cover  of  a  vigorous  salvo  of  hand- 
clapping. 

There  was  no  use  hanging  back,  and  Rob  and 
Merritt,  looking  very  ill  at  ease,  stepped  out 


140  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

before  the  crowd.  If  the  applause  had  been 
loud  before  it  was  terrific  then.  The  hall  fairly 
shook  under  it.  Timid  folks  glanced  upward  at 
the  roof  to  make  sure  it  was  not  going  to  be 
blown  off  by  enthusiasm.  But  at  last,  from  sheer 
weariness,  even  the  most  vigorous  applauders 
ceased.  Then  came  a  cry  in  a  stentorian  voice, 
traced  to  the  foreman  of  the  Fire  Vigilants. 

"Three  cheers  for  Rob  Blake  and  Merritt 
Crawford!" 

"Second  the  motion !"  came  a  tempest  of  cries 
from  all  parts  of  the  hall. 

Commodore  Wingate  drew  from  his  coat  tail 
pockets  two  velvet  boxes.  He  opened  them  and 
in  each  there  lay,  glittering  on  a  bed  of  purple 
plush,  two  miniature  firemen's  helmets  of  solid 
gold  set  with  diamonds.  On  the  back  of  each 
was  inscribed:  "From  a  grateful  community  to 
a  Boy  Scout  hero."  Then  followed  the  date,  the 
name  of  the  boy  receiving  the  gift  and  the  village 
seal.  Stepping  forward  the  Scout  Master  pinned 
to  the  breast  of  each  lad  the  gleaming  trophies 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  141 

which  would  ever  be  among  their  proudest  pos- 
sessions. 

In  the  fresh  applause  that  followed  there  were 
a  few  who  did  not  join.  These  were  Max  Ram- 
say, Hodge  Berry  and  their  cronies,  all  of  whom 
cordially  disliked  the  Boy  Scouts  and  hated  to 
see  them  the  idols  of  the  village.  While  the 
applause  was  still  sounding  in  lusty  salvoes  they 
slipped  out  with  mischievous  looks  on  their  faces. 
Perhaps  Andy  Bowies'  guess  that  they  were  up 
to  some  prank  designed  to  work  harm  to  the  Boy 
Scouts  was  not  so  far  from  the  mark. 

To  relate  in  detail  all  that  took  place  that  even- 
ing would  occupy  too  much  space.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  the  drills  and  exercises  went  off  with 
a  snap,  and  that  some  of  the  games  played  proved 
full  of  laughter  and  merriment.  As  the  audience 
filed  out,  more  than  one  former  lukewarm  citizen 
was  heard  to  remark  that  the  Boy  Scout  organ- 
ization was  a  "mighty  fine  thing  for  lads,  and 
that  the  Eagles  in  particular  not  only  shone 


142  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

themselves,  but  reflected  credit  on  their  home 
town/' 

But  with  the  departure  of  the  crowd,  all  was 
not  over.  For  some  time,  the  boys'  gym  buzzed 
with  chat  and  laughter.  Naturally,  Rob  and 
Merritt  were  the  centers  of  attraction,  and  the 
two  gold,  diamond-studded  helmets  were  handed 
about  till  it  seemed  that  they  must  actually  wear 
out  from  constant  handling!  At  last  it  was  too 
late  to  delay  their  departure  for  home  any  longer. 
When  the  impromptu  meeting  did  finally  break 
tip,  however,  every  fellow  belonging  to  the  Eagles 
felt  deep  down  in  his  heart  that  their  organiza- 
tion, despite  criticism  and  even  open  enmity,  had 
proved  its  right  to  exist,  and,  what  was  more, 
had  even  proved  its  necessity  in  raising  ideals 
and  standards  among  the  lads  of  the  community. 

"We'll  march  out,  fellows,"  declared  Rob,  "and 
as  each  chap's  home  or  corner  is  reached  he  can 
fall  out  of  the  ranks." 

"Good  idea,"  was  the  cry,  and  then: 

"Fall  in!    Fall  in!"  shouted  Merritt. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  143 

"Lights  out,"  was  the  next  order  and  the 
pushing  of  the  electric  light  switch  plunged  the 
place  into  darkness. 

"March !"  and  off  they  went,  two  by  two,  each 
Scout  marching  as  smartly  as  a  trained  veteran. 

Outside,  on  the  landing,  it  was  very  dark.  The 
blackness  was  made,  so  to  speak,  doubly  black 
by  the  fact  that  they  had  just  been  in  a  brilliantly 
lighted  room. 

"Look  out  for  the  steps,  boys !  They're  steep !" 
warned  Rob,  as  his  detachment  of  young  Scouts 
marched  downward. 

Hardly  had  he  spoken  when  the  two  lads 
marching  in  front,  Hiram  and  Paul,  gave  a 
stumble  and  a  yell.  The  next  instant  they  rolled 
down  the  steep  stairway  to  the  street.  Before 
they  could  take  advantage  of  the  warning,  three 
more  pairs,  including  Merritt,  had  likewise  exe- 
cuted a  bob  forward  and  gone  toppling  down  the 
staircase  to  the  sidewalk.  They  all  landed  in  a 
heap. 

"Look  out  there !   The  steps  have  been  soaped !" 


144  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Rob  had  just  time  to  call  out  and  save  the  rest 
from  disaster. 

The  light  from  a  street  lamp  gave  a  feeble 
gleam  on  the  struggling  group  below.  The  rest 
of  the  boys,  huddled  for  a  moment  above,  by 
exercising  great  care,  managed  to  get  over  the 
well-soaped  and  slippery  steps  without  coming  to 
grief.  One  of  them  was  Andy  Bowles. 

"I  just  thought  that  Max  Ramsay  and  Hodge 
Berry  and  their  bunch  were  up  to  some  tricks 
when  I  saw  them  round  here,  and  I  guess  I  was 
right,  too.  How  about  it,  Rob?" 

"I'm  inclined  to  think  you  were,"  responded 
Rob.  "How  are  you,  fellows?  All  right?"  he 
asked  as  the  downfallen  Scouts  picked  themselves 
up. 

"All  present  and  accounted  for,"  declared 
Merritt,  as  they  all  stood  up,  vigorously  brush- 
ing dust  and  dirt  from  their  trig  uniforms,  "ex- 
cept for  a  few  bruises  I  guess  we're  all  right." 

"Hark!"  cried  Hiram  suddenly,  "what's  that?" 

From  somewhere  near  by,  possibly  from  some 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  145 

bushes  that  grew  further  down  the  street  came 
the  sound  of  suppressed  giggling  and  cat-calls. 
There  was  no  doubt  as  to  what  excited  the  merri- 
ment of  the  unseen  scoffers,  nor  was  there,  in 
fact,  any  difficulty  in  guessing  their  identity. 

Rob  hardly  knew  whether  to  laugh  or  be  an- 
gry. Others  of  the  Patrol  had  no  such  hesitancy. 

"It's  that  Max  Ramsay  crowd,"  shouted  Tubby 
angrily.  "Come  out  here  if  you're  not  cowards." 

A  sound  of  scuffling  and  retreating  footsteps 
followed  this  challenge. 

"There  they  go,"  shouted  Hiram,  "the  sneaks !" 

"Let's  capture  some  of  them  and  make  them 
pay  dearly  for  those  soapy  stairs !"  shouted  PauL 

"What  about  it,  Rob?"  asked  Merritt  anx- 
iously. 

But  Rob  shook  his  head. 

"Let  them  go,"  he  said.  "None  of  us  are  hurt, 
and  if  they  are  mean  enough  to  find  satisfaction 
in  such  tricks,  let  them." 

"Well,  I'll  take  it  out  of  them  for  this  skinned 


146  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

ankle  sooner  or  later,"  declared  Tubby,  hopping 
about  and  nursing  the  injured  member. 

"Same  here/'  came  from  one  or  two  of  the 
Scouts  angrily.  "They  won't  get  away  with  any- 
thing like  that." 

"Humph!  I've  just  recollected,"  said  Tubby 
suddenly.  "There's  some  rule  or  other  that  says 
Scouts  mustn't  fight." 

Rob  was  instantly  appealed  to  by  half  a  dozen 
anxious  voices  owned  by  the  victims  of  the  soapy 
stairs. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "of  course  no  Scout  is  sup- 
posed to  engage  in  fisticuffs  except  in  actual  self- 
defense;  but — well  I  guess  there's  a  limit." 

"And  it's  been  reached,"  muttered  Tubby  vin- 
dictively. 

"Fall  in!"  cried  Rob. 

"Humph !    I  just  fell  down,"  grunted  Tubby. 

And  then,  without  more  discussion  of  the  mean 
trick  that  had  been  played  them,  the  Scouts 
marched  off.  After  that  glorious  evening  they 
all  felt  that  they  could  well  afford  to  ignore  such 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  147 

contemptible  pranks  as  those  of  Max  Ramsay 
and  his  crowd. 

As  for  Rob  and  Merritt,  proud  as  they  felt 
of  the  honor  that  had  been  paid  them  that  night, 
they  somehow  could  not  help  valuing  even  more 
highly  the  quiet  thanks  that  had  come  to  them 
from  full  hearts  before  the  public  demonstration 
had  been  thought  of.  It  is  a  Scout's  duty  to  do 
his  work  without  hope  of  reward,  save  that 
which  comes  from  a  sense  of  work  well  done, 
which,  after  all,  is  the  best  reward  and  the  most 
enduring  that  any  boy,  or  man,  either,  for  that 
matter,  can  have. 


148  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

A   NOVEL  PROPOSAL. 

"Well,  what  do  you  think  of  my  proposal?" 

Mr.  Mainwaring's  eyes  twinkled  as  he  re- 
garded the  three  lads  seated  opposite  him  in 
the  library  of  his  home  which  he  had  called  Ancon 
Hill,  possibly  in  remembrance  of  that  other  Ancon 
Hill  in  the  far  off  Canal  Zone. 

Tubby  gulped;  Merritt's  eyes  shone  and  his 
face  flushed  excitedly,  but  he  couldn't  find  words 
just  then. 

"Well,  Rob,  what  do  you  say  to  transplanting 
the  Boy  Scouts,  or  part  of  them,  down  along  the 
big  Ditch?" 

"I — I — that  is,  we — it's  too  big — too  glorious 
to  just  realize  it  all  at  once,  isn't  it,  fellows?" 
stammered  Rob. 

"Pshaw!  I  thought  the  motto  of  your  clan 
was  'Be  Prepared'.  Now  you  ought  to  be  just 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  149 

as  much  prepared  to  accept  my  invitation  to  go 
to  Panama  as  you  would  be  to  cook  a  meal  in  a 
given  time  or  light  a  fire  with  one  match." 

Mr.  Mainwaring  regarded  the  young  faces  op- 
posite him  with  a  quizzical  look.  Then  he  spoke 
again. 

"I  know  just  what  you  fellows  are  thinking," 
he  said.  "You'd  like  to  go,  but " 

"It's— it's  our  folks,  you  see "  Tubby 

managed  to  sputter.  The  others  nodded  solemnly. 
This  proposal  of  Mr.  Mainwaring's,  that  while 
the  Academy  was  closed  they  should  go  as  his 
guests  to  the  Canal  Zone  and  see  the  wonders  of 
that  region,  both  natural  and  man-made,  had 
fairly  taken  them  off  their  feet,  as  the  saying  is. 

"We'll  come  to  that  part  of  it  later,"  responded 
Mr.  Mainwaring.  "I  shouldn't  be  surprised,"  he 
added  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes,  "if  it  could  all 
be  arranged  satisfactorily.  You  see,  I'm  not 
going  to  take  you  lads  down  there  to  idle.  Far 
from  it.  Idleness  is  the  worst  thing  for  boys 
or  men.  I've  work  for  you  to  do.  As  I  told 


150  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

you,  this  young  scamp  Jared,  who  is  really  more 
fool  than  knave,  has  skipped  out  for  the  Isthmus. 
That  I  have  found  out  as  you  know.  With  him 
went  Alverado  and  Estrada,  the  latter  having 
suddenly  resigned  his  diplomatic  post  at  Wash- 
ington. A  third  party  went  also,  who  I  more 
than  suspect  is  the  keen-faced  young  man  you 
told  me  you  had  seen  in  Jared's  company  at  the 
barn,  at  the  ball  game,  and  also  on  the  evening 
Jared  took  his  abrupt  departure. 

"Now,  of  course,  they  are  on  the  qui  vive  on 
the  Isthmus  for  this  precious  outfit  who,  un- 
doubtedly, mean  mischief  of  some  sort.  Just 
what  it  is  I  am  not  prepared  to  say,  but  I  can 
tell  you  that  I  have  a  shrewd  suspicion.  Now 
you  boys  have  plenty  of  pluck,  resource  and  en- 
terprise— don't  turn  red,  I'm  not  in  the  habit  of 
flattering  anybody  and  I  mean  it.  You  are  the 
only  people  that  I  know  of  that  have  actually 
seen  Alverado  and  who  would  be  able  to  pick 
out  this  miserable,  misled  Jared." 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  151 

"You  want  us  to  do  detective  work!"  gasped 
Tubby  in  an  awe-struck  tone. 

Mr.  Mainwaring  laughed  and  threw  up  his 
hands. 

"Heaven  save  the  mark!  I  suspect  you  of 
reading  dime  novels,  Master  Tubby.  No,  there 
is  nothing  Old-Sleuth-like  about  what  I  would 
want  you  to  do ;  nothing  very  thrilling  or  exciting 
about  it.  I'd  simply  want  you  to  accompany  me 
and  maybe  point  out  the  men  you  have  seen 
plotting  together,  for  the  benefit  of  the  Isthmian 
police ;  so  you  see  there  is  no  danger,  no  glamour, 
no  promise  of  adventure  about  it;  only  a  hum- 
drum trip,  but  one  that  I  am  sure  will  prove 
full  of  interest." 

Had  Mr.  Mainwaring  possessed  a  prophetic 
eye  he  might  not  have  spoken  exactly  as  recorded 
above.  But  not  being  blessed  with  such  an  organ 
he,  of  course,  had  no  means  of  knowing  into 
what  danger  and  adventure  the  Boy  Scouts  were 
destined  to  be  thrust  while  on  the  Isthmus. 

"Oh,  but  we'd  like  to  go!"  sighed  Rob. 


152  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"It's  like  a  beautiful  dream,"  struck  in  Merritt 
with  a  far-away  look  in  his  eyes. 

"I  suppose  that  there's  plenty  to  eat  down  that 
way?"  asked  Tubby  rather  suspiciously. 

The  tension  was  relieved  by  a  hearty  laugh 
from  them  all. 

"Well,  I  only  asked,  you  know,"  remarked 
Tubby  in  an  injured  tone. 

"And  now  that  that's  all  explained,"  said  Mr. 
Mainwaring,  after  the  merriment  had  subsided, 
"I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  all  your  parents 
know  of  my  wish  and  are  quite  willing  that  you 
should  go,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  for  some  weeks 
they  will  be  deprived  of  your  interesting  society. 
And " 

But  all  discipline  was  at  an  end  for  the  nonce. 
The  boys'  spirits  fairly  broke  bounds.  They 
leaped  up,  joined  hands  and  danced  round  in  a 
circle.  It  was  like  some  impossible,  glorious 
dream  coming  true;  for  each  of  them  had  long 
cherished  a  desire  to  see  Uncle  Sam's  wonderful 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  153 

digging  operations  which,  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  were  to  join  two  mighty  oceans. 

In  the  midst  of  the  excitement  the  door  opened 
and  in  came  Fred  Mainwaring;  but  Lucy  was 
not  with  him,  rather  to  the  disappointment  of  one 
of  the  Scouts.  Fred,  after  the  boys  had  all 
shaken  hands  warmly  and  indulged  in  another 
war  dance,  announced  that  his  sister  had  had  to 
leave  suddenly  for  the  West  the  night  before, 
as  her  mother,  who  was  stopping  with  relatives 
there,  had  absolutely  forbidden  the  project  of 
taking  her  along. 

It  was  not  till  after  they  had  taken  their  leave 
and  were  walking  with  Fred  down  the  drive  lead- 
ing to  the  road  back  to  Hampton  that  Lucy's 
brother  seized  an  opportunity  to  draw  Rob  aside. 

"What  are  you  looking  so  glum  about?"  he 
demanded  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"Who?  Me?"  rejoined  Rob  indignantly,  "I 
never  felt  better  in  my  life." 

But  his  looks  belied  him.    And,  strange  to  say, 


•154  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Rob's  gloom  dated  from  the  moment  that  Fred 
had  announced  Lucy's  departure. 

"Say,  old  fellow,"  laughed  Fred  merrily,  "if 
you  don't  remind  me  of  the  ostrich  in  the  fable! 
Here, — here's  her  address, — take  it  and  be  happy. 
Bless  you,  my  children,"  and  without  waiting  for 
an  answer,  Fred  thrust  a  bit  of  paper  into  Rob's 
hand  and  darted  off  with  a  merry: — 

"See  you  to-morrow.  We'll  have  lots  to  talk 
about." 

Rob  rejoined  his  companions,  who  had  walked 
on  some  distance  ahead.  His  gloomy  look  had 
vanished  like  snow  in  the  spring. 

"Isn't  it  great,  glittering,  glorious?"  cried 
Merritt  as  he  came  up. 

"I  simply  can't  believe  it  yet,"  cried  Tubby. 
"I'm  afraid  I'll  wake  up  like  I  do  some  nights 
when  I'm  dreaming  about  a  banquet  at  which 
I'm  an  honored  guest." 

" and  I  can  always  send  postcards  from 

the  Isthmus,"  breathed  Rob,  which  remark  did 
not  seem  very  germane  to  the  conversation.  His 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  155 

companions  looked  at  him  in  amazement  for  an 
instant  and  then,  comprehending,  broke  into  a 
roar  of  laughter,  for  which  Rob  chased  them  half 
way  back  to  Hampton,  catching  Tubby  at  last 
and  belaboring  that  stout  youth  till  he  roared  for 
mercy. 

But  the  fat  boy  had  his  revenge.  As  soon  as 
he  was  released  he  sought  a  safe  refuge  and 
then,  holding  his  staff  like  a  guitar,  he  rolled 
his  eyes  upward  in  imitation  of  a  troubadour,  and 
howled  at  the  top  of  his  voice : — 

"On  a  bee-yoot-i-ful  night! 
With  a  bee-yoot-i-ful  gy-url !" 

Rob  didn't  know  whether  to  laugh  or  be  angry. 


156  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 


CHAPTER    XV. 
OFF  FOR  THE  ISTHMUS. 

The  $S.  Caribbean  lay  at  her  dock  at  the  foot 
of  West  Twenty-fifth  Street,  New  York  City, 
with  steam  up  in  readiness  for  her  departure  for 
Colon,  which,  as  every  boy  knows,  is  the  easterly 
port  of  the  Canal  Zone  and  the  terminus  on  that 
side  of  the  Isthmus  of  the  Panama  Railroad. 
Everything  appeared  to  be  a  perfect  maze  of  con- 
fusion. Derricks  rattled,  steam  winches  roared 
and  wagons  clattered  about  the  dock  in  every 
direction.  From  the  'scape  pipe  of  the  big 
steamer  white  wisps  of  steam  were  pouring, 
while  black  smoke  rolled  from  the  squat,  black 
funnel.  At  the  foremast  flew  the  Blue  Peter, 
that  blue  flag  with  a  square  white  center  that,  all 
the  world  over,  signifies  "Sailing  day." 

Down  Twenty- fourth  Street,  hurrying  with  all 
their  might,  came  three  bovs  whom,  even  had 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  157 

they  not  worn  their  Scout  uniforms,  we  should 
have  had  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  as  Rob,  Mer- 
ritt  and  Tubby.  All  were  laden  down  with  pack- 
ages,— things  bought  at  the  last  moment.  The 
main  part  of  their  equipment  was  already  on 
board.  As  we  know,  their  numerous  camping 
expeditions  had  provided  for  them  so  amply  in 
that  way  that  it  had  hardly  been  necessary  to 
buy  anything  in  that  line.  Tents,  cooking  out- 
fits, and  so  on,  they  had  long  possessed. 

But  on  board  the  ship,  in  the  stateroom  they 
were  all  three  to  share,  reposed  their  proudest 
possessions:  three  blue-steel  automatic  revolvers 
with  their  cartridge  belts,  etc.,  and  three  brand 
new  automatic  rifles  of  heavy  caliber.  The  lat- 
ter had  been  the  gift  of  Mr.  .Mainwaring,  while 
the  revolvers  the  boys  had  bought  themselves  on 
his  recommendation.  It  was  quite  likely,  it 
appeared,  that  they  would  explore  some  of  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  Chagres  River,  a  region 
infested  by  big  snakes,  jaguars  and  alligators, 
and  weapons  were  more  or  less  of  a  necessity. 


158  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

Good-byes  had  been  said  early  that  morning 
when  an  admiring,  if  slightly  envious,  cohort  of 
Scouts,  with  the  village  band  at  their  heads,  had 
escorted  them  to  the  train  for  New  York.  It 
had  been  a  period  of  glorious  excitement  up  to 
that  time,  but  when  the  moment  came  to  say  the 
last  good-byes  and  they  had  waved  and  given  the 
Scout  cry  for  the  last  time,  the  three  lads  felt 
strangely  sober.  This  supernatural  depression 
of  spirits  had  endured  till  they  reached  New 
York,  where  their  last  shopping  excursion  for 
some  time  diverted  their  thoughts  and  drove 
away  the  blues.  So  that  it  was  a  laughing,  mer- 
rily chatting  trio  that  came  at  a  brisk  walk  down 
Twenty-fourth  Street  on  its  way  to  meet  Mr. 
Mainwaring  and  Fred  at  the  steamer.  All  felt 
that  their  departure  for  the  tropics  meant  a  new 
epoch  in  their  lives.  As  for  their  friends  at 
home,  the  Hampton  local  paper  had  devoted  a 
column  to  the  lads'  departure,  calling  them 
"Hampton's  Boy  Scout  Pioneers." 

How  much  they  wished  that  they  could  have 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAI4  159 

brought  all  the  Eagles  with  them  to  share  their 
anticipated  experiences!  But  that  was  mani- 
festly impossible,  and  so,  as  the  next  best  thing, 
Tubby  carried  a  camera  and  an  ample  supply  of 
films  with  which  to  make  all  the  pictures  he  could 
to  be  shown  to  admiring  audiences  on  their 
return. 

The  water  front  opposite  the  sailing  place  of 
the  West  India  and  South  American  ships  is  a 
busy  spot.  Life  boils  over  thereabouts  and  the 
boys  felt  quite  bewildered  as  they  faced  the  broad 
street  packed  with  rumbling  wagons  and  swear- 
ing drivers  and  stevedores  that  lay  between  them 
and  the  dock  bearing  in  big  white  letters  the 
magic  words :  Panama  Steamship  Company. 

They  were  just  about  to  cross  the  street  when 
their  attention  was  suddenly  distracted  by  the 
sound  >f  some  sort  of  scuffle  or  argument  going 
on  near  at  hand.  Facing  about  they  were  not 
long  in  discovering  what  the  trouble  was.  Drawn 
up  against  the  curb  was  a  small  peddler's  hand- 
cart, covered  with  rosy  apples  piled  high  in  tempt-. 


160  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

ing  fashion.  Behind  it  stood  a  kindly-looking 
old  woman  who  just  at  that  moment  appeared  to 
be  very  much  flustered  and  excited.  The  cause 
was  soon  apparent. 

Above  the  quavering  voice  of  the  old  woman 
came  a  loud,  blustering  one  that  the  boys  were 
swift  to  recognize. 

"Max  Ramsay !  What  in  the  world  is  he  doing 
here?" 

"And  Hodge  Berry  is  with  him  and  two  other 
boys  that  look  like  city  fellows,"  struck  in  Mer- 
ritt.  "What  are  they  up  to?" 

"It's  plain  enough  that  they  are  plaguing  that 
poor  old  woman,"  exclaimed  Rob,  "and  it 
wouldn't  surprise  me  if  they  had  come  down  here 
to  see  us  off  on  the  steamer  and  try  to  make 
trouble  of  some  kind.  I  heard  they  were  staying 
with  Ramsay's  cousins  in  the  city  till  the  school 
was  rebuilt." 

"Well,  it's  a  shame,  anyhow,"  cried  Merritt 
indignantly. 

He  had  just  seen  what  the  Hampton  worthies 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  161 

and  their  friends  were  up  to.  They  had  amused 
themselves  by  plaguing  the  old  woman  till  she 
was  half  beside  herself,  and  then,  while  she  waa 
berating  one  of  them,  the  others  would  steal 
some  apples. 

"Why,  it's  downright  thievery,"  cried  Rob. 

"That's  just  what  it  is.  Just  what  I'd  expect 
from  such  cads,"  cried  Merritt,  fully  as  angry. 

"They  look  like  good  apples,  too,"  commented 
Tubby,  regarding  the  fruit  with  the  eye  of  an 
expert  in  such  matters. 

"Well,  if  you  aren't  the  limit,"  exclaimed  Mer- 
ritt, giving  him  a  disgusted  look. 

"Haven't  I  got  a  right  to  give  my  opinion?"1 
asked  the  fat  Scout  demurely. 

"Well,  of  all  the  mean  skunks,"  cried  Rob  in- 
dignantly, with  a  darkening  brow.  "See,  the 
poor  old  woman  is  lame.  She's  got  a  crutch  there. 
She  can't  get  after  them  and  that's  why  they  are 
so  bold." 

"Come  on,  and  stop  it,"  exclaimed  Merritt 


162  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

impulsively,  "I  can't  stand  for  anything  like 
that." 

"Better  get  a  policeman,"  suggested  Tubby 
prudently. 

"I  don't  see  one  in  sight,"  rejoined  Rob;  "I 
guess  it's  up  to  us  to  stop  it." 

"Here's  where  I  get  even  for  that  tumble  I 
took,  Scout  rules  or  no  Scout  rules,"  muttered 
Tubby  to  himself  as  the  three  lads  advanced. 

Max  Ramsay  was  contentedly  munching  a  big 
red  apple  as  they  approached.  He  was  too  much 
engrossed  with  laughing  at  the  anger  of  the  old 
woman  and  the  mean  pranks  of  his  friends  to  no- 
tice the  trio  of  determined  looking  lads  nearing 
him.  He  had  already  swooped  down  on  the  stand 
and  was  now  trying  to  divert  the  old  woman's 
attention  from  the  raids  of  his  companions. 

"Drop  that  apple,  Max  Ramsay!" 

That  was  the  first  warning  that  Max  had  that 
the  three  Scouts  from  Hampton  were  on  the 
scene.  He  and  his  companions  had,  as  Rob 
guessed,  come  down  to  the  steamer  to  make 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  16S 

trouble  for  the  boys  if  they  could.  But  on  the 
way  they  had  stopped  to  divert  themselves  at 
the  old  apple  woman's  expense. 

Max  turned  a  trifle  pale  for  an  instant,  but 
then  he  bethought  himself  of  his  companions 
and  grew  defiant  again. 

"As  if  I'd  drop  it  for  you,"  he  said  sneeringly. 

Rob's  arm  flashed  out  and  seized  Max's  wrist. 
The  next  instant  the  apple  was  flying  across  the 
street. 

"Ouch!"  grunted  Max,  "what  are  you  trying 
to  do?  Break  my  arm?  Hey,  fellows!" 

His  companions,  their  attention  thus  drawn, 
rallied  to  Max's  support.  But  Rob,  crimson  with 
just  anger,  never  noticed  them.  Nothing  made 
the  young  Scout  leader  more  angry  than  cruelty 
or  injustice  to  children,  the  old  and  feeble,  or 
dumb  animals.  His  eyes  fairly  blazed  now  as  he 
faced  Max,  who  looked  mean  and  cringing 
beside  him. 

"Now  get  out  of  this,  you  coward,"  he  ex- 
claimed, grabbing  Max's  shoulder  and  giving 


164  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

that  worthy  a  good  shove.  "Be  off  and  take  your 
friends  with  you.  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of 
yourselves,  treating  a  poor  old  woman  this  way." 

"Let's  give  'em  a  good  punching,"  muttered 
Tubby  belligerently. 

"That's  what  I  say,"  chimed  in  Merritt;  but 
Rob  held  back  his  two  fire-eating  chums. 

"Oh,  we're  not  scared  of  the  whole  bunch  of 
you  namby-pamby  sissies,"  cried  Hodge  Berry, 
a  hulking  lad  who,  however,  took  good  care  to 
keep  out  of  reach  of  Rob's  fists.  He  had  once  wit- 
nessed what  they  could  do  and  had  no  desire  for 
a  personal  experience.  Now  Max's  two  city 
cousins  chimed  in. 

"Why  don't  you  give  those  toy  soldiers  a  good 
hiding?"  said  one. 

"Yes;  those  Boy  Scouts  are  too  dern  busy," 
put  in  the  other,  a  pale-faced,  pimply  lad  of  about 
seventeen. 

But  despite  these  brave  remarks,  neither  of 
them  made  any  effort  to  back  up  Max  or  Hodge 
Berry. 


AT   THE   PANAMA    CANAL  166 

"All  right  for  you.  We'll  fix  you  some  time," 
snarled  Max. 

"Why  not  do  it  now?"  inquired  Tubby. 
"You're  four  to  three,  that's  good  odds." 

"Oh,  we  could  lick  you  if  we  wanted  to.  We'll 
do  it,  too,  when  you  get  back  from  Panama,  if 
you  ever  do.  I  hope  the  'gators  eat  you." 

"Thank  you,"  said  Rob,  laughing  in  spite  of 
himself;  "and  as  for  fighting  you  fellows,  why 
I  don't  much  believe  in  it,  but  if  you  don't  make 
yourselves  scarce,  I'll  give  you  rowdies  a  lesson 
you  won't  forget." 

" Yah-h-h-h-h !"  was  all  that  the  apple  raiders 
could  think  of  to  say,  but  they  faded  away  from 
the  scene  in  as  dignified  a  manner  as  they  could 
muster. 

The  three  Scouts  then  bought  some  apples 
from  the  old  woman,  who  poured  out  her  thanks 
so  profusely  that  a  small  crowd  began  to  gather 
about  her  and  listen. 

"Come  on,  fellows,"  said  Rob,  "let's  get  out  of 
tills." 


166  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

They  hurried  away,  followed  by  the  old 
woman's  "Wurra  wurras,"  and  "God  bless  yez 
fer  foine  byes  now,  even  if  ye  do  wear  haythenish 
clothes." 

When  they  were  out  of  earshot,  Rob  turned 
his  attention  to  his  badge,  which  he  was  wearing 
upside  down.  Like  many  other  Scouts,  he  didn't 
turn  it  the  right  way  up  till  he  had  lived  up  to 
the  Scout  rules  of  doing  a  daily  kind  deed.  He 
now  turned  his  badge  the  right  way  and  so 
did  his  chums,  who  had  adopted  this  rule  also. 

"I'd  have  felt  better  if  I  could  have  got  a  good 
crack  at  those  chaps,  though,"  said  Tubby 
between  bites  at  his  apple. 

Suddenly  a  steamer's  whistle  boomed  out  above 
the  dock-side  uproar. 

"Gee  whiz,  fellows,  that's  the  'all  ashore* 
whistle.  We've  got  to  hustle !"  cried  Rob. 

The  three  Scouts  broke  into  a  run,  each  con- 
gratulating himself  that  he  could  present  him- 
self before  Mr.  Mainwaring  with  an  "upturned 
badge." 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  167 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SOMETHING  ABOUT  THE  CANAI,. 

"Suppose  you  tell  us  what  you  know  about 
Panama  and  the  canal  ?"  remarked  Tubby  to  Rob 
as  the  three  boys  perched  in  the  bow  of  the 
Caribbean,  three  days  out,  watching  the  flying  fish 
as  the  vessel's  prow  sent  them  scattering  like 
coveys  of  birds  from  big  patches  of  yellow  gulf 
weed. 

"Yes,  that's  a  good  idea,"  supplemented  Mer- 
ritt.  "I  guess  we  won't  get  much  time  to  study 
books  down  there.  Mr.  Mainwaring  said  this. 
morning  that,  after  he  had  given  the  work  a 
preliminary  look-over,  he  was  going  to  hunt  for 
the  source  of  that  tributary  of  the  Chagres  that 
he  thinks  is  responsible  for  the  big  floods  every 
rainy  season." 

"Well,  I  don't  suppose  I  know  much  more 


168  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

about  it  than  you  two  fellows  do,"  rejoined  Rob 
modestly,  "but  I've  been  reading  up  on  it." 

Here  he  looked  at  Tubby,  who  had  done  noth- 
ing much  on  the  steamer  but  consume  three  huge 
meals  a  day,  with  "snacks"  in  between,  and 
amuse  himself.  One  of  these  amusements  had 
been  stuffing  some  of  those  odd-looking  pills 
known  as  "Pharaoh's  Serpents"  into  the  captain's 
pipe.  Almost  every  boy  can  guess  what  happened 
when  the  glowing  tobacco  reached  the  "Ser- 
pents" and  big,  wriggly,  writhing  things  began 
to  climb  out  of  the  pipe  bowl. 

"Ach  himmel,  der  sea  serpent,"  yelled  the 
skipper,  who  was  a  German. 

"Oh-h-h-h-h-h !"  screamed  a  lot  of  ladies  to 
whom  he  happened  to  be  talking. 

It  was  just  at  this  juncture  that  the  captain 
had  caught  sight  of  Tubby  doubled  up  with 
laughter  behind  a  ventilator.  He  chased  and 
captured  the  fat  youth,  who  then  and  there  re- 
ceived a  spanking  for  which  he  got  no  sympathy, 
even  from  his  fellow  Scouts.  Except  for  spilling 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  169 

"sneezing  powder"  in  the  main  dining  room  at 
dinner  time  and  burning  an  old  gentleman's  bald 
head  by  sun  rays  concentrated  in  a  magnifying 
glass,  Tubby  had  done  nothing  out  of  the  way 
since. 

"Fire  away.  Unload  your  knowledge,"  ordered 
Merritt,  luxuriously  stretching  out  under  the 
awning. 

"All  right,  here  goes.  To  begin  at  the  begin- 
ning, of  course  you  know  that  Panama  was  dis- 
covered by  Christopher  Columbus  in  1502." 

"Ginger  snaps !"  interrupted  Tubby.  "Is  there 
anything,  except  Coney  Island,  that  he  didn't 
discover  ?" 

"Shut  up,  can't  you,"  cried  Merritt  indignantly. 
"Go  on,  Rob,  it's  just  the  nature  of  the  beast. 
Never  mind  him." 

"Well,"  resumed  Rob,  "Columbus  discovered 
the  Chagres  River  and  sailed  up  it.  He  called 
the  beautiful  harbor  by  which  he  entered  it  Porto 
Bello.  Then  came  Balboa,  who  was  the  first  to 
cross  the  Isthmus  and  view  the  Pacific,  It  was 


170  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

about  this  time  that  a  road  was  built  across  and 
the  city  of  Panama  founded  on  the  Pacific  side. 
It  was  from  Panama  that  Pizarro  set  out  to  begin 
his  brutal  campaign  which  ended  in  the  practical 
extinction  of  the  Incas  of  Peru." 

"Oh,  cut  out  the  history  and  let's  get  down  to 
the  canal,"  muttered  Tubby;  "I  hate  history, 
anyhow." 

"It's  my  belief  that  you  like  nothing  but  eat- 
ing," declared  Merritt  indignantly. 

"And  sleeping,"  put  in  Tubby  without  a  smile. 

"The  road  was  fifty  miles  long  and  well  paved 
and  provided  with  substantial  bridges,  some  of 
which  are  yet  standing  although  the  road  is 
almost  impassable,"  went  on  Rob.  "It  was  the 
war  between  Mexico  and  Uncle  Sam  in  1846-47 
that  brought  about  a  change.  But  in  the  mean- 
time, I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  old  Panama  was 
sacked  by  Captain  Henry  Morgan  and  his  pirates 
in  1671,  great  stores  of  gold  taken  and  the 
inhabitants  put  to  the  torture.  The  city  was 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  171 

never  rebuilt,  but  its  ruins  still  stand  some  miles 
from  the  site  of  the  present  city." 

"Well,  what  happened  in  the  Mexican  war?" 
asked  Tubby. 

"I'm  coming  to  that.  At  that  time  there  were 
not  more  than  9,000  miles  of  railroad  in  America, 
and  it  was  a  hard  matter  to  get  as  far  west  as 
Chicago  by  rail. 

"Between  the  East  and  the  Pacific  Coast  lay 
great  prairies,  practically  unexplored.  Indians 
were  thickly  scattered  over  this  region  and  very 
hostile  to  the  white  man.  The  journey  across 
took  months.  The  lack  of  a  short  route  to  the 
Pacific  coast  set  everybody  to  thinking.  Then, 
in  1849,  came  the  great  gold  rush  to  California. 
Hundreds  of  miners  went  by  way  of  the  Isthmus, 
but  there  was  no  railroad  and  they  got  sick,  and 
many  of  them  died  on  the  way  across.  It  became 
clear  that  there  must  be  a  railroad  and,  at  last, 
in  1855,  after  unheard  of  difficulties  had  been 
mastered,  one  was  completed  with  American 
capital. 


172  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"From  the  first  it  paid  tremendously,  in  the 
space  of  forty-seven  years  making  $38,000,00x5 
of  clear  profit  for  its  projectors.  But  to  build 
that  forty-eight  miles  of  track  had  cost  2,000 
recorded  human  lives,  five  years  of  labor,  and 
$8,000,000." 

"First  history,  then  a  railroad  year  book,  and 
now,  I  suppose,  we'll  get  down  to  the  canal," 
grunted  Tubby. 

"Yes,  that's  coming  now,"  smiled  Rob.  "In 
the  first  place,  the  idea  of  building  a  canal  across 
the  narrow  strip  of  land  forming  the  Isthmus 
had  been  a  dream  even  of  the  early  Spaniards. 
Then  a  Scotchman  founded  a  colony  which  was 
to  grow  rich  on  the  products  of  the  Isthmus  and 
also  dig  a  canal.  Disease  and  failure  soon  put 
an  end  to  this  enterprise.  In  fact,  from  the 
earliest  days  Panama  and  the  Isthmus  have 
always  been  known  as  one  of  the  most  unhealthy 
spots  on  earth.  As  you  may  know,  it  is  only  nine 
degrees  north  of  the  equator,  and  the  rainy  sea- 
son lasts  more  than  half  the  year.  But  nowa- 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  173 

days,  with  modern  medicine  and  modern  hygienic 
methods,  it  is  quite  safe,  with  reasonable  care, 
to  penetrate  the  jungle.  Mr.  Mainwaring  told 
£ie  that,"  he  added. 

"Well,  after  various  schemes  had  been  gotten 
up  and  had  fallen  through,  a  French  company, 
backed  by  the  money  of  almost  everyone  in 
France  who  could  by  hook  or  crook  secure  stock, 
in  1882  turned  the  first  shovelful  of  earth  for  a 
canal.  It  was  to  have  been  a  sea-level  one,  that 
is,  one  without  locks,  and  was  projected  and  engi- 
neered by  Ferdinand  De  Lesseps,  the  aged 
builder  of  the  Suez  canal. 

"We  know  now  that  a  sea-level  canal  would 
not  be  feasible  on  the  Isthmus.  It  would  take  too 
long  to  build  and  cost  a  prohibitive  sum,  almost 
double  what  a  lock  canal  costs.  For  seven  years 
digging  went  on,  with  fearful  loss  of  life  among 
the  laborers  and  engineers  from  yellow  fever. 
Then,  in  1899,  it  was  discovered  that  almost  half 
of  the  $400,000,000  raised  had  been  squandered 
in  mismanagement  and  waste,  and  by  far  the 


IL74  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

larger  part  had  gone  in  what  we  should  nowa- 
days call  'graft'.  An  investigation  was  made. 
Several  of  the  promoters  of  the  canal  committed 
suicide,  and  De  Lesseps  went  mad  and  died  in 
an  asylum.  Such  was  the  tragic  history  of  the 
French  era ;  but  brighter  days  were  to  come. 

"It  was  in  1898  when  the  Oregon  made  her 
record  run  from  San  Francisco  to  join  the  At- 
lantic fleet  in  the  West  Indies  and  fight  the 
Spaniards  off  Cuba,  that  Americans  began  to 
think  that  a  short  cut  was  needed.  With  our 
acquisition  of  the  Philippines,  a  "door"  between 
the  Pacific  and  Atlantic  was  declared  to  be  almost 
a  necessity.  There  was  much  discussion  at  Wash- 
ington, but  finally  in  1903  President  Roosevelt 
and  Congress  decided  that  if  we  could  purchase 
from  the  French  all  they  had  left  at  Panama  and 
could,  in  addition,  buy  a  strip  or  "zone"  across 
the  Isthmus  for  canal  building  purposes,  it  would 
be  fitting  and  right  for  the  United  States  to  take 
up  the  work. 

"After  some  dickering,  the  French  company 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  175 

took  $40,000,000  for  what  they  owned,  and,  in 
1904,  the  Panama  Republic,  a  newly  created  na- 
tion, sold  the  United  States  for  $10,000,000  a 
strip  of  land  ten  miles  wide  and  fifty  miles  long, 
which  strip  of  land  is  now  known  as  the  Canal 
Zone. 

"The  first  thing  that  the  Americans  did  after 
they  took  hold  was  to  start  a  campaign  against 
disease.  No  canal  could  be  dug  while  yellow 
fever  had  to  be  reckoned  with.  Under  the  mas- 
terly hand  of  Col.  W.  C.  Gorgas,  the  Zone  has 
been  cleaned  up  till  disease  is  almost  rarer  than 
in  cities  of  the  north.  Mosquitoes  have  been 
wiped  out,  streets  paved,  filth  and  garbage,  which 
used  to  lie  and  rot  under  the  hot  sun,  all  swept 
away,  and  good  comfortable  houses  put  up  for 
workmen  and  their  bosses.  The  men  who  stand 
the  climate  best  among  the  laborers  are  Jamaican 
negroes.  Hindus,  Italians  and  Spaniards  are  also 
employed  for  lighter  work,  but  for  'making  the 
dirt  fly'  the  Sambo  is  the  real  thing. 
"Anything  else  you'd  like  to  know?" 
"Well,  yes,"  said  Merritt.  "Just  why  is  this 


176  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Chagres  River  such  an  important  part  of  the 
canal?" 

"Well,  it's  this  way,  as  I  understand  it,"  said 
Rob.  "In  the  first  place,  the  canal  is  fifty  miles 
long, — forty-one  miles  through  the  land  and  nine 
miles  of  channel  dredged  out  in  the  harbors  of 
Colon  and  Panama.  From  Colon  to  Bah  Bohia 
the  route  passes  for  twelve  miles  through  low, 
swampy  ground  not  much  above  sea  level.  Then 
it  cuts  into  the  hills  and  is  practically  a  more  or 
less  shallow  ditch  as  far  as  a  place  called  Mira- 
flores,  nine  miles  away.  The  highest  point  of 
land  that  the  canal  must  traverse  is  Gold  Hill,  at 
the  famous  Culebra,  where  it  is  662  feet  above 
the  sea  level. 

"But  right  here  occurs  a  'saddle*  through 
which  the  canal  must  run.  This,  at  its  lowest 
point,  is  312  feet  above  sea  level.  Right  here  is 
the  notorious  Culebra  Cut,  which  is  an  immense 
excavation  nine  miles  long  and,  in  places,  more 
than  three  hundred  feet  deep  in  solid  rock, — 
think  of  that! 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  177 

"Bad  as  Culebra  has  been  as  an  obstacle,  how- 
ever, the  Chagres  River  is  worse.  For  23  miles 
the  canal  must  follow  the  valley  of  this  river  and 
cross  and  recross  its  bed.  The  Chagres  is  an 
unruly  stream.  At  times  it  is  small,  and  then 
again  it  swells  to  tremendous  size,  sweeping  all 
before  it  and  causing  great  floods.  To  build  the 
canal  the  problem  was  to  turn  the  Chagres  into 
a  friend,  instead  of  an  enemy,  and  that,  it  is 
believed,  has  been  done  in  an  unique  way. 

"You  must  now  roughly  picture  a  cross  section 
of  the  canal  route  as  a  flat-topped  pyramid. 
Suppose  the  top  of  the  pyramid  to  be  hollow  and 
that  through  that  hollow  flows  the  Chagres 
River.  Well,  on  one  side  of  your  cup  or  hollow 
is  the  famous  Gatun  Dam,  in  the  construction  of 
which  2,250,000  barrels  of  cement  have  been 
used.  Below  the  Gatun  Dam  is  a  'flight/  just 
like  a  succession  of  steps  of  locks.  These  will  be 
used  to  lower  vessels  from  the  'cup'  at  the  top 
to  the  Atlantic  level, — or  to  raise  them,  as  the 
case  may  be. 


178  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"On  the  other  end  of  the  cup,  on  the  Pacific 
end  that  is,  will  be  another  flight  of  locks,  the 
Pedro  Miguel  and  Miraflores  locks,  which  will 
raise  or  lower  vessels  from  and  to  the  Pacific. 
Is  that  clear?  There's  a  big  cup  at  the  top  of 
our  pyramid,  and  steps,  or  'locks/  lead  down 
to  the  levels  of  the  oceans  on  each  side." 

"Oh,  it's  as  clear  as  mud,"  muttered  Tubby, 
"go  on." 

"Now,  then,  we  get  to  the  Chagres  and  the 
part  it  plays,"  went  on  Rob  serenely.  "That 
whole  'cup*  at  the  top  of  our  pyramid  is  actually 
an  artificial  lake  of  vast  size.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  it  will  be  165  square  miles  in  area.  At 
Gatun  a  great  dam  will  hold  it  in,  and  at  Pedro 
Miguel  the  locks  will  perform  the  same  office. 
This  lake  is  the  valley  of  Chagres,  and  the 
Chagres  will  be  relied  on  to  keep  it  filled.  This 
immense  Gatun  Lake,  as  it  is  called,  is  the  'key- 
stone* of  the  canal.  Any  weakness  in  the  Gatun 
Dam  would  ruin  the  whole  project.  You  can  see, 
of  course,  why  this  is  so,  because  the  water  in 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  179 

that  Gatun  Lake  will  be  relied  upon  to  fill  the 
locks  which  will  raise  vessels  up  or  down. 

"But  suppose  the  Chagres  River  cuts  up  ugly, 
as  you  said  it  does  sometimes?"  asked  Merritt. 

"Well,"  said  Rob,  "I  heard  Mr.  Mainwaring 
say  that  the  great  lake  will  be  so  big  that  a  flood 
would  affect  its  level  no  more  than  a  cup  of  water 
poured  into  a  bath  tub.  The  river  will  merely 
serve  to  keep  the  lake  filled  and  supply  the  water 
needed  to  work  the  locks." 

"That's  a  very  good  description,  Master  Rob," 
said  a  voice  at  their  elbows. 

They  started  and  looked  up,  and  there  was  Mr. 
Mainwaring  himself  looking  down  at  them. 

"We  have  changed  the  Chagres  from  a  dan- 
gerous enemy  into  an  excellent  friend,"  he  said, 
"but,  as  Rob  pointed  out,  the  Gatun  is  unavoid- 
ably the  spot  at  which  an  enemy  who  wished  to 
harm  us  could  do  almost  irretrievable  damage 
at  the  expenditure  of  a  few  dollars'  worth  of 
dynamite,  if,"  he  paused  for  an  instant,  "if  he 
knew  just  where  to  place  it." 


180  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"Does  anyone  possess  such  knowledge?"  asked 
Rob. 

"Yes,  anyone  possessing  a  duplicate  of  my 
plans  would  know  just  how  to  set  about  dealing 
the  canal  a  fearful  blow,"  was  the  slow  response. 

Rob's  pulses  beat  fast  and  thick.  He  caught 
his  breath.  Jared  had  such  duplicate  plans,  and 
was  in  the  hands  of  men  who  could  work  on  his 
weak  nature  to  give  them  up.  He  glanced  up  at 
Mr.  Mainwaring,  expecting  to  see  signs  of 
anxiety  on  his  face.  But  the  engineer  was  per- 
fectly calm. 

"After  all  that  'dry  history/  as  Tubby  called 
it,"  said  he,  with  a  smile,  "let's  go  and  play 
shuffle  board  Fred  is  waiting  for  us." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  181 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

AT  OLD  PANAMA. 

The  week  following  the  conversation  recorded 
in  the  last  chapter  found  the  travelers  located  at 
the  Hotel  Grand  Central,  in  Panama  City. 
Colon,  although  the  Americans  have  done  much 
to  clean  it  up  and  make  it  more  presentable  than 
in  former  days,  does  not  hold  much  of  interest. 
Besides,  Mr.  Mainwaring's  offices  were  at 
Panama,  which  made  his  presence  there  a  neces- 
sity. 

The  boys  had  passed  a  busy  time  sight-seeing 
in  the  old  city.  They  had  climbed  the  Cathedral 
towers,  gazing  out  over  the  glittering  bay  dotted 
with  small  but  beautiful  islands,  where  the 
wealthy  Panamans  spent  the  heated  months. 
They  had  explored  nooks  and  corners  and  in- 
spected the  oldest  church  on  the  continent. 

On  the  particular  day  on  which  this  chapter 


182  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

opens  they  had  planned  an  expedition  to  Old 
Panama  city,  which  lies  about  five  miles  from 
the  present  town.  Mr.  Mainwaring  was  busy, 
but  Fred  had  obtained  leave  to  accompany  the 
boys,  his  duties  as  his  father's  secretary  not  being 
very  onerous.  They  set  out  in  high  spirits 
along  the  road  leading  to  the  ruins  of  the  golden 
city  sacked  by  Morgan  and  his  buccaneers. 

The  drive  was  made  in  an  aged  hack,  and 
hardly  had  the  boys  left  the  outskirts  of  the  town 
before  they  were  exclaiming  over  the  luxuriant 
tropical  vegetation  and  the  odd  sights  that  met 
their  eyes  on  every  side.  Once  or  twice  they 
crossed  small  streams,  and  laughed  at  the  sight 
of  native  women  pounding  clothes  on  rocks  at 
the  water  side  with  big,  flat  clubs. 

"Heaven  help  the  buttons!"  cried  Merritt. 
"This  must  be  a  paradise  for  button  manufac~ 
turers." 

"I  guess  they  don't  bother  much  with  them,  at 
least  not  the  natives  that  we've  passed,"  chuckled 
Fred. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  183 

"Oh,  look  at  that  bunch  of  bananas!"  cried 
Tubby  presently,  as  they  passed  by  a  clump  of 
green  banana  plants  laden  with  fruit.  "Let's 
hop  out  and  get  some." 

But  the  fruit  was  green  and  uneatable. 
Bananas,  as  Tubby  did  not  know,  are  picked  and 
shipped  while  green,  and  grow  yellow  and  ripe 
on  the  voyage  north  in  the  holds  of  the  fruit 
steamers,  which  are  kept  carefully  at  a  uniform 
temperature. 

"It's  odd  that  we've  seen  nothing  of  Jared  or 
his  friends,"  remarked  Rob,  as,  after  the  dis- 
covery of  Tubby's  mistake,  they  drove  on  again. 
"Has  your  dad  notified  the  police?" 

"Yes,  indeed,"  rejoined  Fred  Mainwaring, 
"but  nothing  has  come  of  it  as  yet.  Of  course, 
a  careful  lookout  is  being  kept.  Say,  fellows," 
he  exclaimed  in  a  cautious  tone,  "do  you  know 
I  believe  that  some  plot  is  on  foot  to  injure  the 
great  Gatun  Dam  and  delay  the  opening  of  the 
canal  ?  At  least,  I'm  pretty  sure,  from  things  I've 
heard  dad  say,  that  such  is  the  case." 


184  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"And  you  think,  or  rather  he  thinks,  that  Jared 
is  mixed  up  in  it?"  asked  Tubby  breathlessly. 

"That's  what.  At  least  he  is  mixed  up  in  it 
to  this  extent,  that  he  is  supplying  the  plotters 
with  plans  of  the  dam  and  so  on  in  order  that 
they  can  strike  their  blow  at  the  weakest  part 
of  it." 

"Gee  whiz!  I'd  like  to  get  my  hands  on  that 
Jared  just  once,"  exclaimed  Merritt  angrily. 
"What  a  skunk  he  is." 

"It's  a  pity  we  ever  let  him  get  away  from 
Hampton,"  muttered  Merritt.  "Of  course,  we 
found  out  that  he  and  the  man  with  him  bought 
tickets  for  New  York,  but  that  was  only  a  blind 
clew  at  best." 

"Well,  we  don't  actually  know  that  he  is  on 
the  Zone  at  all,"  struck  in  Rob ;  "although  all  the 
steamship  offices  were  quizzed,  we  couldn't  find 
out  that  anybody  answering  Jared's  description 
had  taken  passage  for  the  Isthmus." 

"So  far  as  that  is  concerned,"  remarked  Fred, 
"dad  says  that  that  proves  nothing.  He  might 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  185 

have  shipped  from  San  Francisco  or  New 
Orleans,  or  even  from  some  Canadian  port  for 
some  other  destination,  and  then  worked  his  way 
up  here  on  a  sailing  vessel  or  coasting  steamer." 

"And  that's  just  about  what  he  would  have 
done/'  cried  Rob.  "Both  Alverado  and  Estrada 
have  plenty  of  sympathizers  in  Bogota  who 
would  help  them  in  any  plot  against  Uncle  Sam. 
But,  after  all,  the  whole  thing  may  be  a  false 
alarm." 

"You  wouldn't  think  so  if  you  could  have 
heard  what  dad  said  at  that  meeting  of  the 
Canal  heads  the  other  day,"  rejoined  Fred.  "Of 
course  I  can't  tell  you  what  took  place,  although 
I  was  present  in  my  capacity  as  secretary;  but 
from  what  I  heard  a  strict  watch  is  to  be  kept 
and  the  guards  doubled." 

"If  Estrada  and  Alverado  know  the  country 
well,  it's  quite  likely  that  they  aren't  in  the  city 
at  all,"  struck  in  Merritt.  "The  country  outside 
the  actual  Canal  Zone  is  a  trackless  jungle. 
They  may  be  hiding  up  in  there  some  place." 


186  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"That's  quite  likely,  too,"  rejoined  Fred.  "I 
heard  dad  saying  something  about  that  the  other 
day.  By  the  way,  we  are  going  to  start  up  the 
Chagres  day  after  to-morrow;  won't  that  be 
bully?  That's  my  idea  of  sport, — following  up 
a  tropic  river  looking  for  a  tributary." 

"What's  your  dad  going  to  do  with  the  tribu- 
tary when  he  finds  it  ?"  asked  the  practical  Tubby. 

"That  hasn't  been  settled  yet,"  was  the 
rejoinder.  "Of  course,  if  it  proves  to  be  the 
branch  that  feeds  the  Chagres  and  causes  all  the 
trouble  in  flood  time,  it  will  be  dammed  or  some- 
thing so  as  to  make  it  harmless." 

"Say,  don't  talk  so  loud,"  whispered  Rob  in  a 
cautious  tone,  for  the  boys  from  their  first  low 
tones  had  gradually  drifted  into  louder  talk, 
"that  driver  is  listening  to  every  word  we're 
saying." 

"Just  like  an  inquisitive  nigger,"  growled  Fred 
resentfully. 

"He's  not  a  nigger,"  declared  Rob;  "he  looks 
to  me  more  like  a  Latin- American  of  some  sort. 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  1ST 

He  may  be  a  fellow  countryman  of  this  Estrada. 
In  that  case,  I  hope  he  didn't  overhear  anything." 

"Well,  you  were  talking  as  loud  as  any  of  us," 
declared  Tubby. 

"Yes,  that's  so.    I  kind  of  wish  I  hadn't." 

"Look!"  cried  Merritt  suddenly. 

He  had  good  reason  to  exclaim.  Ahead  of 
them,  rising  majestically  above  the  brilliant-hued 
tropical  greenery,  was  a  vast  gray  tower,  square 
and  massive,  and  pierced  with  square  windows. 
At  its  summit  it  was  overgrown  with  mosses, 
lichens  and  many-hued  flowers  of  gorgeous  col- 
oring. But  for  this,  it  might  have  seemed  any- 
thing but  a  ruin. 

"The  ruined  tower  of  the  old  cathedral  church 
of  St.  Augustin !"  cried  Rob. 

"And  that's  all  that  remains  of  the  city  from 
which  Morgan  took  so  much  plunder  that  it 
required  seventy-five  mules  and  six  hundred 
prisoners  to  pack  it  across  the  Isthmus  to  Porto 
Bello,"  chimed  in  Merritt,  who,  it  will  be  seen 


188  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

from  this  remark,  had  been  reading  up  on 
Panama. 

Leaving  the  rig  behind  them,  the  four  lads 
made  their  way  to  the  foot  of  the  tower.  They 
elected  to  push  their  way  through  a  tangle  of 
brush  instead  of  following  the  regular  footpath. 
As  Tubby  said,  it  seemed  more  like  coming  to  a 
ruin  than  by  strolling  up  to  it  on  a  beaten  track. 
Their  tough  khaki  uniforms  resisted  the  thorns 
and  brambles  valiantly,  and  they  arrived  at  the 
foot  of  the  massive  old  tower  out  of  breath  but 
undamaged,  except  for  sundry  scratches  on  their 
hands. 

They  entered  the  old  tower  through  a  tumble- 
down doorway.  The  walls,  they  noticed  as  they 
passed  through,  were  three  feet  or  more  thick, 
which  perhaps  accounted  for  the  sturdy  piles 
standing  so  long  after  the  rest  of  the  city  had 
vanished.  Inside  was  a  crumbled  stairway  of 
stone  up  which  the  four  Scouts  were  soon  scram- 
bling. They  clambered  to  the  very  top  and  then 
Rob  and  Fred  drew  from  their  pockets  two  pen- 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  189 

nants.  One  bore  the  "totem"  of  the  Eagles;  the 
other  was  emblazoned  with  the  Patrol  emblem  of 
the  Black  Wolves. 

"I  thought  of  this  just  before  we  left,"  said 
Rob,  as  he  drew  out  the  Eagle  flag;  "I  guess 
we're  the  first  Boy  Scouts  on  the  Isthmus  and 
so  we'll  be  the  first  to  unfurl  our  totems  above 
old  Panama." 

"But  how  are  you  going  to  make  the  flag 
fast?"  asked  Tubby. 

"See  that  prickly  branch  growing  right  out 
from  the  edge  of  the  tower?  I  guess  I'll  make 
mine  fast  to  that,"  said  Rob,  "it'll  be  as  good  as 
a  flag  pole." 

"Look  out  you  don't  slip,"  warned  Merritt,  as 
Rob  made  his  way  over  roughly  piled  stones  that 
had  crumbled  from  the  parapet  and  gained  the 
edge  of  the  tower.  At  that  point  a  staff-like 
thorn  bush  raised  one  bare  arm  aloft.  As  Rob 
had  said,  it  did  indeed  make  a  regular  flag  pole. 

Balancing  himself  carefully,  the  leader  of  the 


190  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

Eagle  Patrol  reached  out  and  peered  over  thd 
edge. 

"Wow,  fellows,  but  it  looks  a  long  way  to 
the  ground!"  he  exclaimed.  "If  I  ever  fell,  I'd 
land  with  a  bump  all  right." 

Clasping  the  flag  in  one  hand,  he  leaned  out 
and  laid  hold  of  the  upright  branch.  There  was 
a  sudden  cracking  sound.  The  horrified  Scouts, 
who  were  watching  Rob,  saw  him  make  a  des- 
perate grab  at  the  wall  to  recover  himself  as  the 
branch  snapped. 

But  Rob's  effort  came  too  late. 

"He's  gone!"  yelled  Tubby,  turning  as  white 
as  a  ghost  as  Rob,  without  a  sound,  plunged  over 
the  parapet  and  out  of  sight. 

His  chums  turned  sick  and  faint.  They  dared 
not  go  to  the  edge  to  gaze  upon  what  they  knew 
must  lie  at  the  foot  of  the  tower.  They  simply 
stood  like  figures  carved  out  of  wood  waiting  for 
the  sound  of  Rob's  crashing  fall. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAIi  191 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
BETWEEN  EARTH  AND  SKY. 

But  no  such  sound  came.  Instead  they  heard 
something  that  brought  them  instantly  to  the 
alert. 

"Hey,  fellows !    Come  quick !" 

It  was  Rob's  voice,  coming  up  to  them  over  the 
edge  of  that  dizzy  height. 

In  three  bounds,  careless  of  the  consequences 
of  a  false  step,  they  were  on  the  parapet  of  the 
tower  where  they  had  last  seen  Rob,  as  he 
reached  out  for  the  treacherous  "flag  pole." 

"Look,  boys!  Look!  There  he  is!  Hold  on, 
Rob,  old  fellow.  Hold  on,  for  heaven's  sake," 
cried  Merritt. 

Rob,  his  feet  dug  into  the  rough  interstices  of 
the  old  ruinous  wall,  was  clinging  to  a  stoutly 
rooted  bush  that  had  broken  his  fall  and  given 
him  one  second  in  which  to  stay  his  awful  plunge 


192  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

into  space.  But  his  position  even  now  was  bad 
enough. 

His  face  was  as  white  as  chalk,  and  the  sweat 
streamed  down  it  in  rivers  as  he  gazed  up  at  his 
comrades  above.  He  was  fully  thirty  feet  below 
them,  and  they  had  no  rope,  no  means  of  saving 
him  from  his  fearful  position!  In  the  very 
nature  of  things  his  muscles,  strong  as  they  were, 
were  bound  to  give  out  before  long.  It  was  not 
in  flesh  and  blood  to  endure  such  a  tension  long; 
and  then But  they  dared  not  think  of  that. 

It  was  a  moment  for  quick  action  and  nimble 
wits.  The  shrub  to  which  Rob  was  clinging 
appeared  to  be  firmly  rooted.  In  fact,  it  must 
have  been,  to  have  withstood  the  strain  of  his 
crashing  fall.  Then,  too,  his  toes  were  driven 
home  into  a  crack  of  the  wall,  relieving  to  some 
extent  the  weight  brought  to  bear  on  the  shrub. 
But  this  could  not  last  indefinitely. 

Suddenly  Merritt  noticed  something.  Just 
above  the  place  where  Rob  clung  to  the  wall,  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  waving:  banana  fronds. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  193 

was  an  opening.  As  he  saw  this  a  sudden  idea 
struck  him.  He  thought  he  saw  a  way,  a  des- 
perate way,  it  is  true,  but  still  a  way  to  rescue 
Rob  from  his  perilous  position. 

'How  long  can  you  hold  on,  Rob?"  he  called 
down. 

"Not  much  longer  I'm  afraid,"  came  back  in 
a  voice  that  could  hardly  have  been  recognized 
as  Rob's,  "can't  you  get  a  rope  ?" 

Merritt  shook  his  head.  He  knew  that  a 
search  for  such  an  article  would  take  too  much 
precious  time. 

"No;  but  you  hold  on,  old  chap.  Keep  up  a 
good  heart  and  we'll  get  you  out  of  that,  never 
fear." 

Turning  to  his  companions  he  hastily  explained 
his  plan.  An  instant  later  the  three  Scouts  were 
rushing  down  the  crazy  stone  staircase  headed 
for  the  opening  above  Rob.  As  soon  as  they 
reached  it  Merritt  peered  out.  Rob  was  still 
there,  but  he  looked  up  appealingly  at  his  chum. 
Merritt  knew  what  the  look  meant.  Rob  couldn't 


THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

hold  on  much  longer,  but  dared  not  waste  breatK 
in  speaking. 

"Now,  then,  fellows,"  spoke  Merritt,  turning 
to  his  chums,  "what  we're  going  to  do  is  easy 
enough  if  you  keep  cool;  but  if  you  get  rattled 
it  may  fail." 

"We'll  keep  cool  all  right,  Merritt,"  Fred  as- 
sured him,  though  his  breath  was  coming  fast. 

As  for  Tubby,  his  countenance  did  not  betray 
the  flicker  of  a  muscle.  Merritt  knew  he  could 
rely  on  the  fat  boy,  but  of  Fred's  more  emotional 
nature  he  had  not  been  quite  so  sure. 

Suddenly  his  eye  caught  sight  of  something 
that  would  make  his  task  easier.  In  the  wall  of 
the  opening  was  a  big,  rusty  iron  staple.  What 
its  former  use  had  been  there  was  no  means  of 
guessing;  but  Merritt  regarded  it  with  delight. 
It  made  the  daring  thing  he  was  about  to  attempt 
a  little  more  certain  of  success. 

"Tubby,  you  just  hook  your  belt  through  that 
Staple,"  he  ordered,  "and  then  hang  on  to  Fred's 
feet  for  all  you  are  worth.  Fred,  you  lie  down 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  196 

right  here, — with  your  hands  just  at  the  edge, — 
that's  right." 

The  boys  obeyed  Merritt's  orders,  but  Tubby 
looked  at  him  with  apprehension. 

"You'll  never  do  it,"  he  quavered. 

"Nonsense,  of  course  I  will,  if  you  fellows 
carry  out  your  part.  It's  nothing  more  than  wall 
scaling,  only  we're  doing  it  the  other  way  round." 

When  all  was  ready  Tubby  was  lying  flat  with 
his  belt  hooked  through  the  iron  staple.  He  had 
fast  hold  of  Fred's  ankles,  while  the  latter's 
hands  came  just  to  the  edge  of  the  opening. 
Merritt  was  to  form  the  last  link  in  this  human 
chain  that  was  to  rescue  Rob  Blake,  if  such  a 
thing  was  possible. 

Merritt  had  already  seen  that  the  bush  to 
which  Rob  clung  was  not  more  than  four  feet 
below  the  opening.  His  daring  plan  was  to  lower 
himself, — with  Fred  clinging  to  his  ankles, — till 
he  could  reach  Rob's  hands  and  help  him  up  to 
safety. 

Without  a  word  Merritt  threw  himself  on  his 


196  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

stomach,  after  taking  off  his  coat  and  hat,  and 
wriggled  to  the  edge.  One  look  at  Rob's  upturned 
face  told  him  that  he  had  no  time  to  lose.  Sec- 
onds, yes,  fractions  of  seconds,  would  count  now. 

"Catch  hold,  Fred!" 

Fred  gripped  the  daring  Scout's  ankles  tightly. 

"Now  hang  on  like  grim  death." 

Merritt  clenched  his  teeth  and  slowly  wriggled 
his  way  over  the  edge.  Hanging  head  down- 
ward he  extended  his  hands  toward  the  shrub 
where  Rob  was  clinging. 

"Hold  on  for  your  lives!"  he  shouted  to  those 
above,  and  then  to  Rob : — 

"Let  go  with  one  hand  and  grab  my  right 
wrist,  Rob." 

For  an  instant  Rob  hesitated.  He  dared  not 
let  go.  But  again  came  Merritt's  voice.  This 
time  it  was  sharp  and  imperative. 

"Let  go  and  grab  me !" 

Rob's  grip  with  his  left  was  relaxed  and  he 
seized  Merritt's  wrist,  giving  it  a  jerk  that  almost 
pulled  his  arm  out  of  the  socket.  For  an  instant 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAlj  197 

'his  heart  was  in  his  mouth.  If  the  boys  above 
weren't  strong  enough  to  hold  them,  they  would 
both  be  dashed  downward  to  the  ground  that 
looked  so  fearfully  far  below.  But  both  Tubby 
and  Fred  were  heavy  youths,  and  then,  too,  the 
belt  that  was  looped  through  that  accommodating 
iron  staple  was  an  anchor  in  itself. 

There  was  a  slight  give  and  a  sag,  but  the 
"human  chain"  held. 

"Now  the  other  hand,"  ordered  Merritt,  draw- 
ing a  breath  of  relief. 

Rob  obeyed  instantly  this  time.  But  he  was  a 
fairly  heavy  youth  and  it  was  a  good  thing  that 
he  could  take  part  of  the  weight  off  his  rescuer's 
arms  by  digging  his  toes  into  the  cracks  of  the 
ruinous  tower.  Otherwise  this  story  might  have 
had  a  different  ending. 

"Now,  Rob,  use  me  as  a  ladder.  Don't  look 
down  for  heaven's  sake,  but  reach  up  and  grab 
my  belt.  Use  the  cracks  in  the  wall  like  the  rungs 
of  a  ladder  and  clamber  up." 


198  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Let  me  rest  a  minute.  I'm  winded  and  dizzy," 
breathed  Rob,  whose  nerve  was  badly  shaken. 

"Not  a  minute.    Go  on  now !" 

Merritt  spoke  sharply  purposely.  Rob  rallied 
and  did  as  he  was  told.  He  seized  Merritt's  belt 
as  the  other  boy  hung  head  downward,  and,  dig- 
ging his  toes  into  the  cracks  of  the  wall,  he  drew 
himself  up  till  he  could,  with  his  other  hand,  lay 
hold  of  the  edge  of  the  opening.  After  this  it  was 
an  easy  matter,  thanks  to  the  ruinous  condition  of 
the  wall  which  offered  plenty  of  foothold,  to 
clamber  to  safety.  Reaching  it,  Rob  lay  back 
white  and  panting. 

But  in  a  few  seconds  he  was  able  to  help  his 
chums  haul  the  courageous  Merritt  out  of 
danger. 

It  was  some  time  before  they  felt  able  to  leave 
the  ruined  tower,  such  a  bad  shaking  up  had  all 
their  nerves  received;  but  at  last  a  move  was 
made.  Needless  to  say,  the  Scout  totems  were 
not  flung  to  the  breeze  that  day. 

"I  don't  see  how  we  ever  did  it,"  exclaimed 


AT   THE   PANAMA    CANAL  199 

Fred,  as  they  reached  the  ground  and  Tubby 
began  taking  pictures  of  the  tower  while  the 
others  looked  up  at  the  spot  where  Rob  had  clung 
in  such  dire  peril. 

"I  guess  'being  prepared/  having  good, 
healthy  muscles  and  all  that  had  a  whole  heap  to 
do  with  it,"  said  Tubby,  snapping  his  shutter; 
"and  now  let's  get  a  move  on  and  get  back  to 
dinner,  or  second  breakfast,  as  they  call  it  here. 
I  don't  know  how  you  fellows  feel,  but  I'm  one 
aching  void." 


200  THE  BOY  SCOUTS 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

THE   GATUN   DAM. 

The  scene  changes  to  a  day  when  the  boys  had 
their  first  view  of  the  mighty  Gatun  Dam,  a  work 
that,  as  President  Taft  said,  is  "as  solid  as  the 
everlasting  hills."  Picture  a  vast  valley  hemmed 
in  by  hills  heavily  timbered  with  tropical  growth. 
Across  the  valley  floor  the  current  of  the  muddy 
Chagres  slowly  serpentines,  with  workmen's 
huts  clustered  along  its  sides,  and  everywhere 
preparations  being  made  to  hem  it  in,  much  as 
the  Liliputians  set  about  harnessing  Gulliver,  a 
giant  to  them. 

The  floor  of  the  valley,  once  a  trackless  jungle 
and  destined  within  a  short  time  from  the 
moment  that  the  Boy  Scouts  gazed  upon  it  to 
become  a  mighty  lake,  was  crisscrossed  in  every 
direction  by  lines  of  railroad  along  which  con- 
tractors' engines  were  puffing  and  hauling  long 


•r 


r'  —.  ^  * 
•<(  ^* 
( 


r 


The  boys  had  their  first  view  of  the  mighty  Gatun  Dam. 

200. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  301 

winding  trains  of  dirt  cars.  In  places,  great 
steam  shovels  were  at  work  eating  out  whole  hill- 
sides, taking  great  mouthfuls  at  a  time. 

"Like  Tubby  eating  pie,"  laughed  Merritt,  as 
he  watched  one  of  them. 

Across  the  valley  floor,  the  huge  dam,  a  veri- 
table mountain  of  concrete,  was  rising.  Busy 
human  ants  swarmed  everywhere  and,  at  the  spot 
on  which  the  boys  stood,  with  Mr.  Mainwaring 
and  some  assistant  engineers  to  explain  things, 
hundreds  of  black  workmen  were  working  like 
beavers  on  the  summit  of  the  great  wall.  Where 
they  stood  the  wonderful  dam  was  100  feet  wide, 
just  one-fourth  the  length  of  the  steamer  on 
which  they  had  come  to  the  Isthmus. 

At  the  base  of  the  dam  the  width  of  the  gigan- 
tic structure  is  1,900  feet,  and  its  massive  found- 
ations go  down  into  the  earth  for  many  feet  more. 

"Just  think,"  exclaimed  Rob,  aglow  with  the 
wonder  of  it  all,  "before  long  all  this  valley  floor 
will  be  a  huge  inland  sea  across  which  vessels  can 
push  their  way  from  Pedro  Miguel  to  Gatun." 


202  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

The  roar  of  an  excavating  machine  drowned 
his  comrades'  replies,  but  their  looks  showed  how 
deeply  they  were  impressed. 

"It  makes  you  feel  like  a — a  fly  speck,"  ex- 
claimed Tubby,  when  the  uproar  ceased  for  an 
instant. 

Up  along  a  line  of  rails  glided  a  movable  steam 
shovel.  On  a  side  track  a  busy  little  locomotive 
had  already  bunted  a  train  of  flat  cars.  There 
was  a  loud  clatter  of  chains ;  two  white  spouts  of 
steam  leaped  high  above  the  shelter  which  pro- 
tected the  steam  shovel's  engineer  from  the  burn- 
ing sun.  Down  swung  the  huge  steel  dipper. 
Almost  like  a  hungry  human  being,  rather  like 
some  famished  giant,  it  swung  its  iron-toothed 
jaws  apart  and  bit  deep  into  a  bank  which  had  to 
be  moved.  In  an  instant  its  mouth  was  closed 
again  and  the  receptacle  was  full  of  rough, 
broken  material.  Big  rocks  were  among  the 
earth,  but  that  made  no  difference  to  this  devour- 
ing leviathan. 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  203 

"Hi !"  shouted  a  big  shining  negro  man  on  the 
flat  car. 

The  big  steam  shovel  gave  a  sharp  scream  of 
warning,  the  steam  spurted  forth  again  from  the 
vent  pipes  and  up  swung  the  load.  The  long  arm 
slowly  reached  out  above  the  flat  car.  A  mighty 
scampering  of  the  negro  loaders  followed. 

"Hi !"  came  the  cry  of  the  boss  negro  again. 

The  bottom  of  the  dipper  opened.  There  was 
a  roar  of  falling  rock  and  earth  and  a  flat  car 
was  filled.  Then  the  process  was  repeated  till 
the  hillock  that  was  to  be  removed  melted  away 
like  a  plate  of  ice  cream  before  a  healthy  boy. 

Thus,  amid  shouting,  seeming  confusion,  the 
clanging  and  crash  of  metal,  the  scream  of  steam 
whistles,  shouted  orders  and  the  noise  of  steam 
and  the  fog  of  smoke,  the  work  went  on, — the 
mighty  job  that  Uncle  Sam,  contractor,  is  putting 
through  for  the  benefit  of  the  civilized  world. 

Mr.  Mainwaring  told  the  boys  that  there  is 
keen  rivalry  among  the  steam-shovel  men. 
Prizes  are  given  every  month  for  the  record 


'204  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

amount  of  dirt  that  flies.  Each  shovel  is  pushed 
to  the  limit  of  its  capacity.  In  an  eight-hour  day 
one  of  the  steam  shovels  excavated  and  loaded  on 
flat  cars  3,500  cubic  yards.  This  means  about 
1 60  carloads  for  the  day,  or  a  carload  every  three 
minutes. 

The  boys  noticed,  too,  that  the  negroes, 
Italians  and  Spaniards  toiled  away  at  their  tasks 
without  appearing  to  take  much  interest  in  their 
work  beyond  keeping  just  hard  enough  at  it  to 
avoid  getting  into  trouble.  But  on  the  faces  of 
the  "gold-men,"  as  the  engineers  and  American 
officials  are  termed,  was  the  stern  determination 
of  men  animated  by  a  great  purpose.  Off  duty, 
the  gold-men,  so  called  because  they  are  paid  in 
American  gold  and  not  in  Panama  coinage,  are 
a  joking,  jolly  lot  of  men,  who  like  to  play  tennis 
and  baseball,  and  indulge  in  all  sorts  of  sports. 
But  on  duty,  clad  in  khaki  and  gaiters,  with  great 
sun  helmets  to  keep  off  the  baleful  rays  of  the 
tropical  sun,  they  are  like  changed  men. 

The  expression  the  boys  noticed  on  their  faces 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  205 

as  they  hurried  about  with  blue  prints  or  levels 
and  theodolites  was  set  and  stern.  They  seemed 
to  be,  in  a  way,  instruments  of  a  great  destiny. 
Each  bore  himself  as  if  he  knew  that  the  work  in 
hand  required  the  best  that  was  in  him. 

"It  seems  to  me,"  said  Mr.  Mainwaring,  "that 
these  great  steam  shovels  and  their  crews,  the 
activity  and  all  the  purposeful  bustle  and  hustle 
down  here,  represent  more  fully  than  anything 
that  I  have  ever  seen  the  determined,  fearless 
American  spirit  that  has  overridden  what  ap- 
peared to  be  impossibilities,  and  is  carrying  the 
Canal  through  to  a  triumphant  completion.  It's 
a  great  thing  for  a  boy  to  be  able  to  say  that  he 
has  seen  such  a  work,  and  it  will  be  a  still  greater 
thing  if  he  takes  to  heart  the  lessons  to  be  learned 
here  on  every  hand/' 

Here  he  looked  at  Tubby  who,  not  paying  any 
attention  to  this  "preachifying,"  as  he  mentallj 
termed  it,  was  drinking  the  milk  out  of  a  cocoa- 
nut.  The  fat  boy  had  become  very  fond  of  the 
cocoanut,  which  can  be  bought  on  the  Isthmus 


206  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

for  little  or  nothing.  He  had  slung  several 
around  his  waist  and  at  intervals,  amidst  the  dust 
and  turmoil  of  the  work  on  the  great  dam,  he 
refreshed  himself  by  a  copious  draught  of  their 
cool  contents. 

At  the  boys'  feet,  as  they  stood  on  the  lofty 
concrete  battlement,  lay  the  cut  for  the  Gatun 
locks,  which  will  raise  and  lower  vessels  eighty- 
five  feet.  There  are  no  such  locks  anywhere  in 
the  world.  While  the  boys  watched,  a  steady 
Stream  of  concrete  was  being  poured  into  giant 
moulds  for  the  locks,  and  rows  of  arc-light  poles, 
like  gaunt  trees,  showed  that  under  the  glare  of 
electric  lights  the  work  was  pushed  forward  even 
at  night.  Not  a  minute  of  time  was  wasted  all 
through  that  vast  system.  They  soon  had  become 
aware  of  that. 

While  the  boys  stood  there  an  erect,  military- 
looking  man  came  up  to  Mr.  Main  war  ing,  who 
greeted  him  with  every  appearance  of  respect. 
The  newcomer  was  tall,  bore  an  air  of  authority, 
and  was  dressed  in  a  white  military  uniform. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  207 

"Colonel,"  the  boys  heard  Mr.  Mainwaring 
say,  after  a  few  minutes'  grave  conversation,  "I 
wish  to  introduce  to  you  my  son  Fred  and  his 
three  chums, — all,  as  you  see,  Boy  Scouts." 

Tubby  hastened  to  chuck  his  empty  cocoanut 
shell  off  the  top  of  the  dam  as  he  saw  that  a  social 
ceremony  was  going  forward.  The  shell  lit  on 
a  negro's  skull  far  below  and  bounded  off  with  a 
loud  crack. 

"Mah  goodness,  dem  musquitoes  is  wusser  dan 
ebber  to-day,"  the  negro  remarked  to  the  man 
shoveling  at  his  side,  which  would  have  made 
Tubby  laugh  if  he  had  heard  it. 

After  a  few  kind  words  to  the  chums,  the 
military-looking  man  passed  on,  stopping  every 
now  and  then  to  examine  the  work  with  every 
appearance  of  minutest  care. 

"Wonder  what  kind  of  a  boss  he  is?"  remarked 
Tubby  nonchalantly  after  he  had  passed  on. 
"Steam  shovel  boss,  concrete  boss,  dynamite  boss, 
engineering  boss  or  surveying  boss, — there  are 
other  kinds  but  I  forget  'em." 


208  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Why,  you  chump,"  roared  Fred,  "don't  you 
know  who  that  was  ?" 

"I  didn't  catch  his  name,"  rejoined  Tubby. 

"Well,  that  wasn't  anybody  more  important 
than  Lieut-Col.  George  W.  Goethals,  chairman 
of  the  Isthmian  Canal  Commission,  and  known 
as  the  'man  who  dug  the  ditch.' ' 

"Oh-h-h-h-h-h!"  mumbled  Tubby,  a  great  light 
breaking  upon  him,  "I  guess  I'll  take  another 
cocoanut  on  that." 

And  the  fat  boy  selected  a  fine  specimen  from 
the  several  that  adorned  his  belt  like  scalps  hang- 
ing round  an  Indian  warrior. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  200 


CHAPTER    XX. 

A  DYNAMITE  VOLCANO. 

After  a  while,  despite  the  thrilling  novelty  of 
the  scene  and  the  significant  interest  it  held  for 
the  four  American  lads,  the  dust,  the  heat,  the 
noise  and  the  confusion  and  bustle  became  weari- 
some, and  they  began  looking  about,  boy  like,  for 
something  new. 

A  white  man  in  a  duck  uniform  and  pith  hel- 
met hastened  by  in  company  with  a  colored  man 
who  looked  different  from  any  negro  the  boys 
had  yet  seen.  The  man  had  straight  black  hair, 
long  and  glossy.  He  wore  a  small  sort  of  skull 
cap  and  white  clothes  with  odd  velvet  shoes  not 
unlike  those  affected  by  Chinese. 

"Hullo,  Raynor !"  shouted  Mr.  Mainwaring  to 
the  white  man,  as  the  pair  hustled  by  along  the 
rampart-like  heights  of  the  big  dam,  "where  are 
you  bound  for?" 


$10  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

The  dark  man  and  his  companion  came  to  a 
halt,  the  former  standing  in  a  respectful  attitude 
and  saluting  Mr.  Mainwaring. 

"We're  going  to  shoot  a  test  hole,"  was  the 
reply. 

"Do  you  mind  taking  these  lads  along?  As 
you  see,  they  are  Boy  Scouts,  and  anxious  to  see 
all  that  they  can." 

"I'll  be  delighted  to.  I've  a  kid  brother  at 
home  whose  letters  are  full  of  the  doings  of  his 
patrol.  Come  along,  young  men.  I'll  show  you 
something  that  will  make  your  eyes  open." 

"I'll  meet  you  here  in  time  for  dinner,"  said 
Mr.  Mainwaring. 

"We'll  be  here,"  rejoined  Tubby,  whose  eyes 
had  brightened  at  the  mention  of  a  meal.  Al- 
though he  had  devoured  the  milk  and  creamy 
meat  of  two  huge  cocoanuts,  the  stout  youth  was 
still  ready  for  another  chance  at  edibles. 

Mr.  Raynor  hastened  on,  beckoning  to  the  boys 
to  follow  him. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  211 

'What  is  a  test  hole  ?"  asked  Rob,  as  the  boys 
trudged  along  the  top  of  the  dam  beside  him. 

"It  is  a  hole  blown  in  the  ground  so  that  we 
can  tell  what  sort  of  foundation  we  are  working 
on,"  was  the  reply. 

"Blown  in  the  ground?"  asked  Tubby  with 
round  inquiring  eyes. 

"Yes.  Dynamited,  perhaps  I  should  have  said. 
Ram  Chunda  there,"  he  motioned  back  at  the 
dark  man  who  was  trotting  along  behind,  "is  the 
boss  dynamiter.  He's  going  to  shoot  the  hole." 

"Oh,  he's  a  Hindoo?"  exclaimed  Rob  as  he 
heard  the  name  of  the  dark  satellite.  "We 
thought  he  was  a  negro." 

"Oh,  no.  We  couldn't  trust  negroes  with 
dynamite.  Almost  all  the  dynamite  men  on  the 
canal  are  Hindoos.  They  are  not  fit  for  the 
heavy  work;  but  we  find  them  reliable  and  trust- 
worthy around  explosives." 

"What's  that?"  asked  Merritt  presently,  indi- 
cating a  small  hut  painted  a  bright  red. 

"That's  a  dynamite  hut.     See,  there  are  sev- 


THE   BOY   SCOUTS 
eral  workmen  waiting  to  have  explosives  served 
out  to  them." 

"Can  anybody  get  the  stuff  who  wants  it?'* 
asked  Merritt. 

"No,  indeed.  That  would  never  do.  They 
have  to  bring  an  order  signed  by  the  boss  on  their 
particular  section." 

Ram  Chunda,  however,  appeared  to  have  his 
supply  of  explosives  elsewhere  for  they  did  not 
stop  at  the  dynamite  hut  but  passed  on. 

"How  much  dynamite  is  stored  there?"  asked 
Rob,  as  they  hurried  along. 

"Oh,  enough  to  blow  the  whole  dam  up,  I 
guess,"  was  the  careless  reply,  to  which  the  boys 
did  not  attach  much  significance  at  the  time, 
although  they  were  to  recollect  those  words  with 
peculiar  vividness  later. 

Before  long  they  reached  a  place  where  ladders 
were  stretched  from  the  ground  to  the  top  of 
the  dam. 

"We'll  go  down  these,"  announced  Mr.  Ray- 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  313 

nor,  halting.  "Ram,  you  go  first.  You  boys  can 
follow.  All  got  steady  heads,  I  hope  ?" 

"I  think  so,"  murmured  Fred,  with  a  vivid 
recollection  in  his  mind  of  the  scene  on  the  ruined 
tower  of  St.  Augustin,  "two  of  us  have,  anyhow." 

The  engineer  did  not,  of  course,  understand 
the  allusion  nor,  to  the  joy  of  Rob  and  Merritt, 
did  he  ask  any  explanation.  Neither  boy  liked  to 
recall  those  awful  moments  when  they  hung  sus- 
pended in  mid-air  between  life  and  death. 

The  ladders  were  long  and  steep,  but  the 
descent  was  made  without  incident.  At  the 
base  of  the  dam,  however,  was  a  steep  sort  of 
embankment  of  loose  sand  and  gravel.  Tubby, 
who  was  behind  Ram  Chunda,  looked  down  and 
saw  this,  which  appeared  to  offer  a  secure  "jump- 
ing off"  place. 

With  a  whoop  he  jumped  from  the  last  ladder 
while  still  several  feet  above  the  top  of  the  bank. 
His  feet  struck  it  with  a  scrunch.  But  the  loose, 
shaly  stuff  was  treacherous.  With  an  alarmed 
the  fat  boy,  the  cocoanuts  round  his  belt  rat- 


214  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

tling  like  castanets,  rolled  down  the  bank,  revolv- 
ing like  a  barrel. 

The  others  looked  on  in  some  alarm.  Sud- 
denly Tubby  struck  the  bottom  of  the  bank  and 
simultaneously  there  came  a  series  of  sounds  like 
a  volley  of  musketry. 

Pop !  pop !  pop !  pop ! 

"Gracious,  it's  Tubby,"  cried  Rob,  tracing  the 
source  of  the  sounds. 

"Is  he  blowing  up  ?"  demanded  Fred  Mainwar- 
ing  in  genuine  alarm. 

"Sounds  like  it!"  exclaimed  Merritt  apprehen- 
sively. 

The  engineer  and  the  Hindoo  looked  on  in 
amazement.  The  fat  boy  continued  to  pop  loudly. 
Suddenly,  still  popping  spasmodically,  he  strug- 
gled to  his  feet.  What  a  sight  he  presented ! 

He  was  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  a  milky 
fluid  which  was  flowing  down  him  and  on  which 
the  gravel  had  stuck  and  plastered  him  with 
yellow  mud. 

"Tubby,  are  you  hurt?"  yelled  Merritt. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  215 

"Bob,"  shrilled  Rob,  for  once,  in  his  alarm, 
giving  Tubby  his  real  first  name,  "what's  the 
trouble  ?  Are  you  injured  ?" 

"No,  but  those  cocoanuts  have  blown  up!" 
shouted  Tubby  angrily.  "One  after  another  they 
busted !  I  thought  I  was  in  a  battle  for  a  minute." 

"Well,  you  look  as  if  you'd  been  through  a 
hard  siege,"  declared  Rob,  who,  now  that  his 
apprehension  was  over,  joined  the  others  in  a 
hearty  laugh  and  a  scramble  down  the  gravel 
bank. 

"What  made  'em  bust  ?"  demanded  Tubby,  rue- 
fully, surveying  his  drenched  uniform  and  brush- 
ing himself  off  as  best  he  could. 

As  soon  as  he  could  speak  for  laughing  the 
engineer  explained.  Cocoanuts  in  their  natural 
state  are  shielded  by  great  masses  of  leaves  which 
keep  their  milky  contents  cool.  Tubby,  in  his 
greed,  had  girded  himself  about  with  the  succu- 
lent nuts  and  then  spent  a  long  morning  in  the 
hot  sun.  This,  combined  with  his  activities,  had 
caused  the  milk  to  heat  up  and  ferment. 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

If  the  fat  boy  had  not  taken  his  tumble  down 
the  bank  it  is  not  likely  that  the  nuts  would  have 
exploded.  But  the  fall  was  what  proved  too 
much  for  the  already  fermented  milk.  Like  so 
much  gunpowder  it  had  expanded  and  blown  the 
"eyes,"  or  thin  parts,  out  of  each  cocoanut,  spray- 
ing the  unfortunate  Tubby  with  milk,  and  mak- 
ing the  sharp  series  of  reports  that  had  so  alarmed 
them. 

Even  Ram  Chunda's  immobile  face  bore  the 
trace  of  a  smile  at  Tubby's  disaster.  In  fact,  the 
boy  got  no  sympathy  from  anyone. 

"I'll  pack  no  more  cocoanuts  with  me,"  he  was 
heard  to  mutter,  "they  are  as  dangerous  as 
Anarchists'  bombs  and  a  whole  lot  messier.  Gee, 
my  uniform's  a  sight!" 

But  as  the  unanimous  verdict  seemed  to  be 
"Serves  you  right,"  Tubby  had  few  remarks  on 
his  disaster  to  offer  for  the  public  benefit. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  217 


CHAPTER  XXI. 
"RUN  FOR  YOUR  LIVES!" 

Ram  Chunda  approached  a  small  hut  painted 
red  like  the  other  dynamite  shed,  and  came  out 
with  his  arms  laden  with  what  were  apparently 
cylindrical  tin  cans.  He  selected  a  number  of 
these,  handling  them  with  no  more  apparent  care 
than  if  they  had  been  tins  of  tomatoes,  instead 
of  charges  of  dynamite. 

"T-t-t-tell  him  to  be  a  little  c-c-c-careful,  won't 
you?"  begged  Tubby.  "That  stuff  would  blow 
up  worse  than  cocoanuts  if  he  dropped  it." 

"Yes,  we'd  never  know  what  struck  us,"  said 
the  engineer  carelessly,  "but  don't  worry  about 
Ram,  he  knows  what  he's  doing." 

He  spoke  with  the  indifference  of  one  who 
has  handled  high  explosives  for  years,  but  the 
boys'  emotions  were  very  different.  They  eyed 


818  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

Ram  Chunda  askance  as  he  stumbled  occasionally 

on  a  rock  or  hillock  of  earth. 

In  this  manner  they  walked  quite  a  distance 
back  from  the  dam  to  a  point  where  no  tracks 
or  workmen  were  visible. 

"Right  here  is  where,  before  long,  we  are 
going  to  build  a  wing  dam  to  strengthen  the 
main  one,"  explained  the  engineer. 

"Then  what's  the  use  of  blowing  it  up?"  asked 
Tubby  stolidly.  The  fat  boy  was,  to  tell  the 
truth,  in  a  state  of  alarm  over  what  was  to  come. 

"Why,  we  want  to  see  just  what  lies  under- 
neath before  we  start  to  dig  a  foundation,  other- 
wise it  would  be  so  much  wasted  labor,"  was  the 
response. 

There  were  already  several  test  holes  drilled 
in  the  ground,  but  the  object  of  dynamiting  was 
to  loosen  up  the  soil  beneath  to  ascertain  if  there 
was  any  substratum  of  water. 

"Ever  see  them  shoot  an  oil  well?"  asked  the 
engineer,  as  he  peered  about  looking  for  a  suita- 
ble hole  to  start  out 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  219 

The  boys  shook  their  heads.  They  had  heard 
of  the  operation  but  had  never  had  an  opportunity 
to  witness  such  a  proceeding. 

"Now  is  your  chance  then,"  said  Mr.  Raynor. 
"Ram,"  calling  to  the  Hindoo,  "we  try  'um  this 
fellow  number  one  shot." 

The  Hindoo  nodded  and,  carrying  his  armful 
of  explosives,  hurried  to  his  boss's  side. 

"Gee!  This  is  only  Number  One,"  muttered 
Tubby  in  an  alarmed  undertone. 

"Don't  be  a  scare-cat,  Tubby,"  laughed  Mer- 
ritt,  although  his  own  heart  was  beating  a  bit 
fast. 

"Scare-cat  nothing.  I — I  guess  I'll  go  home  to 
dinner.  Once  is  quite  enough  to  be  blown  up  in 
one  morning,"  quoth  the  fat  youth,  "besides,  I 
promised  my  mother  I  wouldn't  get  into  danger." 

"I  guess  over-eating  is  the  only  danger  you'll 
be  in,"  chortled  Fred. 

Tubby  looked  pained  but  said  nothing.  With 
round  eyes  he  began  to  watch  the  proceedings 
of  the  Hindoo  "dynamite  man." 


220  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

The  latter  cautiously  lowered  into  the  hole 
selected  several  of  his  tin  cylinders.  The  rest 
of  the  operation,  as  Mr.  Raynor  had  explained, 
would  be  similar  to  that  of  shooting  an  oil  well. 
That  is  to  say,  a  heavy  cylindrical  iron  weight 
would  be  dropped  on  the  explosive  mass  at  the 
bottom  of  the  hole,  causing  it  to  detonate. 

With  as  much  care  now  as  if  he  were  handling 
eggs,  Ram  lowered  the  final  cylinder  of  dyna- 
mite into  the  hole.  Then  he  attached  a  long 
string  to  the  weight  and  gave  a  shout. 

"Get  back  to  a  safe  distance,  boys,"  cried  Mr. 
Raynor,  running  toward  them. 

They  needed  no  second  warning,  but  beat  a 
rapid  retreat  toward  the  great  concrete  rampart 
of  the  dam. 

"I'd  climb  over  to  the  other  side  if  I  had  the 
time,"  Tubby  declared,  feeling  perhaps  that  he 
would  be  safe  enough  behind  that  man-made  cliff. 

At  last  all  was  in  readiness.  Some  laborers 
near  at  hand,  glad  of  any  excuse  to  drop  work, 
laid  down  their  shovels  to  see  what  would  happen 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  221 

when  the  "Go-devil,"  as  they  called  it,  was  set 
off. 

Mr.  Raynor  gave  a  look  behind  him  at  Ram 
who  was  crouching  low  at  quite  a  distance  from 
the  hole. 

"All  right!"  he  shouted. 

Ram  gave  the  string  a  jerk  and  dropped  it. 
Then  he  too  started  sprinting  toward  the  boys. 

"He's  dropped  it!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Raynor. 
"Watch  it  now!" 

It  seemed  to  the  boys  as  if  Ram,  swiftly  as 
he  ran,  would  never  get  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Their  hearts  fairly  stood  in  their  mouths  as  they 
watched  him  running  like  a  greyhound. 

Suddenly  came  a  subdued  roar.  The  earth 
shook.  The  solid  ground  trembled  as  if  it  had 
been  a  jelly.  A  second  later,  from  the  mouth  of 
the  hole  there  shot  a  mighty  column  of  earth, 
stones  and  smoke.  It  was  accompanied  by  a 
screaming,  whistling  sound  and  then  came  the 
detonation  of  a  mighty  roar.  Up  and  up  shot 
the  column  as  if  it  meant  to  pierce  the  blue  sky. 


222  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

The  workmen  shouted  and  ran  for   places  of 

safety. 

Suddenly  Mr.  Raynor,  who  had  been  watching 
with  hawk-like  eyes,  gave  a  sharp,  commanding 
cry: 

"Run,  boys!    Run  for  your  lives!    After  me!" 

For  an  instant  they  hesitated.  Why  should 
they  run?  There  appeared  to  be  no  danger.  At 
the  distance  that  they  were  from  the  spouting 
column  it  did  not  appear  possible  that  they  would 
be  in  jeopardy  from  it  even  when  it  collapsed  and 
came  crashing  to  earth. 

"What's  the  matter?"  cried  Rob. 

"Don't  stop  to  ask  questions.  Run!  Run! 
Run,  I  tell  you !"  roared  the  engineer. 


AT   THE   PANAMA    CANAL  223 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

THE  BOYS  MEET  AN  OI,D  ACQUAINTANCE. 

The  boys  needed  no  further  urging.  Taking 
to  their  heels  they  ran  like  so  many  scared  jack- 
rabbits  after  the  engineer.  Tubby,  his  fat, 
stumpy  legs  working  like  piston  rods,  was  in  the 
lead. 

"I  knew  something  was  going  to  bust,"  he 
yelled,  as  he  sprinted  along,  "and  it  has !" 

Suddenly  Mr.  Raynor,  who  was  heading  ap- 
parently for  a  piled-up  mass  of  rocks,  stopped  and 
glanced  back. 

"Too  late!  Duck!"  he  shouted  the  next  in- 
stant. 

Down  flopped  the  boys,  but  as  they  threw 
themselves  face  downward  they  felt  as  if  they 
were  being  lifted  from  the  ground  by  a  giant 
hand  and  then  slammed  down  again.  It  seemed 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

almost  as  if  a  heavy  weight  had  been  hurled 
down  on  them. 

Then  came  a  terrific,  blasting  roar  and  blind- 
ing flash  as  if  a  huge  gun  had  been  set  off  quite 
close  to  them. 

The  fearful  concussion  and  their  lack  of 
knowledge  of  what  was  happening  scared  and 
shocked  them  half  out  of  their  wits.  Gravel  and 
small  rocks  fell  about  them.  If  it  had  not  been 
for  their  broad-brimmed  Scout  hats,  which  pro- 
tected the  back  of  their  heads,  they  would  have 
been  cut  and  bruised  by  the  hail  of  debris. 

"You  can  get  up  now,"  came  Mr.  Raynor's 
voice  presently,  "but  I  don't  mind  saying  that 
that  was  about  as  narrow  a  squeak  as  I've  ever 
experienced." 

"It  sure  was  a  test  hole,"  muttered  Tubby;  "it 
tested  me  all  right  and  I  don't  want  any  more 
of  it." 

"What  on  earth  happened?"  demanded  Rob, 
brushing  dirt  and  dust  from  his  uniform. 

"That's  what  I'd  like  to  know,"  said  Fred. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  225 

"I  thought  the  world  was  coming  to  an  end," 
declared  Merritt. 

"Or  a  giant  cocoanut  was  blowing  up,"  mur- 
mured Tubby. 

At  that  moment  Ram  came  running  up.  He 
looked  embarrassed  and  dabbed  at  a  small  cut 
on  his  forehead  with  a  handkerchief. 

"Him  hurte  you?"  he  asked  rather  anxiously, 
looking  askance  at  Mr.  Raynor. 

"More  good  luck  than  thanks  to  you  that  we 
were  not  all  killed,"  declared  the  engineer  angrily. 
"What  made  you  do  it,  you  rascal?" 

"Me  very  sorry.  Ram  forget,"  said  the  man 
contritely. 

But  his  repentance  had  no  effect  on  the  thor- 
oughly angry  engineer.  He  told  the  man  that 
he  was  too  grossly  careless  to  work  on  the  dyna- 
mite gang  and  ordered  him  to  report  at  his  office 
that  night  and  be  assigned  to  some  other  work. 

Tubby  nodded  sagely  as  he  heard  this.  He  was 
confirmed,  it  seemed,  in  his  opinion  that  the  man 


828  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

had  been  careless  and  he   felt  like  telling  the 

engineer  so.    But  Rob  asked  a  question. 

"You  haven't  told  us  yet  just  what  it  was  that 
happened?"  he  said. 

"Yes,  what  was  it?"  put  in  Fred. 

"Oh,  nothing  to  speak  of  but  an  explosion  of 
fifteen  pounds  of  dynamite  about  as  close  to  us  as 
I'd  care  to  have  such  a  thing  happen,"  said  the 
engineer  grimly. 

"Gee  whiz !  As  bad  as  that !"  exclaimed  Mer- 
ritt  looking  aghast.  "Why  we  might  all  have 
been " 

"Hoisted  sky-high.  Oh,  you  don't  need  to  tell 
me  that.  That  careless  fellow  Ram  left  one  of  his 
cans  of  dynamite  lying  on  the  ground  not  far 
from  the  test  hole.  I  didn't  notice  it  and  he 
didn't  either,  I  guess,  till  he  shot  the  well.  Then 
just  as  that  column  of  stones  and  stuff  was  sky- 
hooting  up,  I  happened  to  see  that  can  lying 
there.  It  gave  me  a  turn,  I  tell  you.  I  figured 
out  what  would  happen  if  a  rock  ever  hit  and 
we  standing  where  we  were." 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  227 

"What  would  have  happened?"  asked  Tubby 
innocently,  his  eyes  like  two  saucers. 

"Happened !  Why  we'd  all  have  had  through 
tickets  to  Kingdom  Come,  that's  what  would  have 
happened." 

"But  you  haven't  told  it  all,"  exclaimed  Rob, 
who  had  just  comprehended  something.  "Boys, 
that  weight  that  fell  on  us  was  Mr.  Raynor's 
body.  He  just  shoved  us  in  front  of  him  and 
shielded  us  with  his  own  body.  He  saved  our 
lives." 

"That's  what  I  call  being  a  real  hero,"  cried 
Fred. 

"Three  cheers  and  a  tiger  for  Mr.  Raynor!" 
yelled  Merritt. 

"Pshaw!  You  drop  that  now!"  protested  the 
engineer.  "I  just  fell  on  you  because  I  couldn't 
help  it,  I  reckon." 

"We  know  better  than  that,  don't  we,  fellows  ?" 
cried  Rob. 

"You  bet  we  do,"  was  the  response  given  with 
cleep  conviction  and  unanimity. 


228  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"Well,  say  no  more  about  it,"  begged  the  en- 
gineer. "I  promised  to  take  good  care  of  you 
and  I  was  almost  responsible  for  getting  you 
injured,  so  I  guess  we're  quits." 

As  Mr.  Raynor  had  to  visit  other  parts  of  the 
workings,  and  also  to  take  samples  of  the  earth 
blown  up  by  Ram's  unlucky  blast,  the  boys  bade 
him  good-bye  soon  after. 

"Well,  so  long,"  he  said.  "I  hope  you'll  drop 
in  and  see  me  some  time  if  you  are  going  to  be 
about  here  long.  I  may  have  something  else 
interesting  to  show  you." 

The  boys  said  they  would.  Then  up  came 
Ram  Chunda,  grinning  like  a  monkey. 

"Me  velly  solly,"  he  said,  "white  sahib  no  be 
mad.  You  come  see  me  some  time,  eh?" 

"Yes,  we'll  come  and  see  you  when  you're  in 
your  little  casket  or  else  get  our  lives  insured 
first,  you — you  anarchist  you !"  sputtered  Tubby. 

The  engineer  had  advised  them  not  to  climb 
the  ladders  but  to  walk  along  the  foot  of  the 
dam  till  they  reached  a  place  where  a  flight  of 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  229 

steps  had  been  moulded  in  the  concrete.  Accord- 
ingly, after  leaving  him  they  trudged  along  at 
the  foot  of  the  gigantic  stone  cliff,  looking  up 
every  now  and  then  to  marvel  at  its  height  and 
massiveness. 

They  found  plenty  to  look  at  and  were  in  no 
hurry.  That  is,  none  of  them  was  in  a  hurry 
but  Tubby,  who  was  keen  to  find  out  if  it  was 
not  time  to  go  back  to  Mr.  Mainwaring's  bunga- 
low for  dinner. 

It  was  hot  work  walking,  and  they  paused  fre- 
quently. At  length  they  came  to  a  place  where 
a  small  tree  at  the  foot  of  the  dam  afforded  a 
patch  of  shade. 

"Let's  sit  down  and  rest  a  while,"  said  Fred. 
"I'm  tuckered  out." 

"Wish  this  was  a  cocoanut  tree,"  said  Tubby 
as  they  reclined  in  the  grateful  bit  of  shade.  "I'd 
climb  it  and  get  all  you  fellows  something  to 
eat." 

"Or  blow  us  up,"  laughed  Fred  mischievously. 

"Say,  fellows,"  said  Rob  presently,  "look  up 


230  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

above  us  on  the  top  of  the  dam.    There's  a  big 

concrete  mixing  machine  up  there." 

"Hope  they  don't  drop  anything  down  on  us/' 
said  Fred  apprehensively. 

"Not  much  danger  of  that,  I  just  saw  a  man 
peeking  down  at  us.  They  would  warn  us  if 
we  were  in  danger." 

"I  don't  know,  those  niggers  are  none  too 
careful.  Remember  that  fellow  Ram;  he  came 
pretty  near  ramming  us,"  punned  Fred. 

"Look  out!"  yelled  Merritt  suddenly. 

But  he  was  too  late.  A  bucket  full  of  liquid 
cement  came  spattering  down  on  them,  going  all 
over  their  uniforms  and  making  them  sad  sights 
indeed.  Luckily  the  stuff  was  almost  as  thin 
as  water  or  they  might  have  been  injured. 

Rob  looked  up  and  gave  an  indignant  shout 
A  mocking  face  peered  over  the  edge  of  the 
parapet  and  grinned  jeeringly  at  him.  As  he 
saw  this  countenance  Rob  gave  a  violent  start 
and  fairly  staggered  backward. 

It  was  the  face  of  Jared  Applegate  into  whicK 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  231 

fie  had  looked.  It  was  his  hand  that  had  thrown 
the  bucket  of  liquid  cement  over  them,  ruining 
their  uniforms. 

"Fellows !"  shouted  Rob  in  high  excitement. 

But  Jarcd's  face  had  vanished  as  swiftly  as  H 
had  appeared. 


t32  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

ALONG  THE:  CHAGRES. 


"Well,  did  you  ever  !  !    Jared  of  all  people  !" 
"What  on  earth  is  he  doing  here?" 
"That's  plain  enough,"  was  Rob's  reply  to  the 
last    exclamation,    which    had    proceeded    from 
Tubby  following  Rob's  hasty  recital  of  what  he 
had  seen  on  the  top  of  the  dam. 

"That's  plain  enough,"  he  repeated.  "Jared 
is  a  pretty  slick  sort  of  article,  or,  at  any  rate,  the 
men  with  whom  he  is  in  league  are  cunning  and 
clever.  What  better  place  could  Jared  be, 
watched  as  he  is,  than  holding  down  a  job  as  a 
canal  worker,  bossing  some  small  undertaking? 
Who  would  ever  dream  of  looking  for  him  in  such 
a  position?" 

"That's  so,"  agreed  Fred,  "and  then,  too,  he 
gets  a  chance  to  survey  the  ground  thoroughly 
and  lay  plans  for  whatever  sort  of  deviltry  that 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  233 

gang  is  up  to.  Maybe  Alverado  and  Estrada  are 
working  on  menial  jobs,  too,  with  the  same  end 
in  view." 

"Quite  likely,"  replied  Rob,  "and  also  that 
mysterious  chap  we've  seen  with  Jared  on  several 
occasions.  Anyhow,  our  duty  now  is  plain 
enough.  We  must  make  all  haste  back  to  Mr. 
Mainwaring  and  report  to  him  what  we  have 
discovered." 

"Let's  get  some  of  this  mess  cleaned  off  us 
first,"  said  the  practical  Merritt.  "We  look  more 
like  drowned  rats  than  Scouts,  in  our  present 
plight." 

The  boys  set  to  work  trying  to  remove  the 
traces  of  the  ducking  that  had  been  given  them 
by  the  malignant  Jared,  who  had  undoubtedly 
recognized  them.  Had  they  known  that  he  was 
actually  on  the  lookout  for  them,  they  would 
have  been  much  astonished.  Yet  such  was  the 
case,  as  will  appear  before  long. 

Luckily  the  mixture  of  cement  that  had  been 
doused  over  them  was  a  very  watery  one,  the 


234  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

rinsings  of  a  cement  bucket,  in  fact,  so  that  in 
a  short  time  the  hot  sun  had  dried  out  most  of 
the  traces  of  their  adventure. 

But  Mr.  Mainwaring  greeted  them  with  ex- 
clamations of  astonishment. 

"What  in  the  world  have  you  lads  been  up  to 
now,"  he  exclaimed  half  laughingly  as  they  re- 
joined him,  "taking  a  swim  with  your  uniforms 
on?" 

"Well,  we  did  have  an  involuntary  bath,"  ad- 
mitted Rob,  and  he  went  on  to  tell  just  what  had 
happened. 

"Jove!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Mainwaring  when  he 
had  finished,  "this  is  getting  interesting,  and 
perhaps  explains  many  annoying  things  that 
have  been  happening  about  here  recently.  Der- 
rick booms  have  collapsed  without  apparent  cause 
and  an  investigation  has  shown  that  acid  has 
been  poured  on  the  supporting  ropes  by  some 
malignantly  disposed  persons.  Blasts  have  been 
set  off  prematurely,  narrowly  avoiding  injury, 
and  the  work  has  been  delayed  by  many  such 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  235 

tricks.  It  wouldn't  surprise  me  a  bit  if  your 
friend  Jared  and  the  Latin  Americans  who  are 
interested  in  delaying  the  canal  construction  are 
at  the  bottom  of  this.  I'll  dispatch  men  at  once 
to  get  hold  of  this  chap  Jared  and  we'll  make 
him  confess  all  about  it." 

As  he  spoke  there  was  a  sudden  crash  behind 
him  as  a  workman,  who  had  been  standing  close 
to  him  and  who  must  have  overheard  every  word, 
dropped  a  heavy  bucket.  They  all  faced  round 
and  saw  a  man  shuffling  off  rapidly.  Something 
familiar  about  him  struck  Rob,  but  for  the  life 
of  him  he  could  not  place  the  man.  It  was  not 
until  later  that  he  recalled  where  they  had  seen 
him  before.  He  was  the  man  who  had  driven 
them  to  the  ruins  of  old  Panama  on  that  memora- 
ble morning,  and  who  must  have  heard  some  of 
their  talk.  But  what  was  he  doing  on  the  canal 
work?  Was  he  allied  with  the  forces  that  were 
trying  to  defeat  the  completion  of  the  canal? 
Had  he  told  the  plotters  of  what  he  had  over- 


236  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

heard  and  warned  them  that  vigilant  retribution 

was  on  their  trail? 

All  these  were  questions  that  for  the  time  had 
to  wait.  Rob  decided  not  to  say  anything  just 
then.  After  all  he  might  have  been  mistaken. 
In  the  nmntime  the  searchers  sent  out  after 
Jared  reported  that  they  could  not  find  him.  Un- 
doubtedly after  venting  his  malice  on  the  boys 
he  had  made  off.  Rob  was  not  mistaken  in  his 
identification  of  the  cabman.  The  fellow  was 
allied  with  the  plotters  by  close  ties  both  of 
nationality  and  sentiment.  He  had  been  set  to 
driving  a  hack  in  Panama  so  that  he  might  carry 
on  his  spy  work  without  being  suspected.  It 
was  by  chance  that  the  boys  had  happened  to 
take  his  cab.  But  what  he  had  overheard  that 
day  had  caused  him  to  hasten  to  the  dam  and 
inform  his  confederates,  who,  as  Rob  had 
guessed,  were  constantly  about  there  disguised 
as  workmen. 

In  that  vast  enterprise,  employing  thousands 
of  laborers,  it  was  a  simple  enougfi  matter  for 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  237 

any  able  bodied  men  to  obtain  employment,  and 
no  questions  were  asked  so  long  as  the  laborer 
proved  able  to  earn  his  pay.  At  dinner  time  Mr. 
Mainwaring  was  unusually  silent.  There  was  no 
question  in  his  mind  now  but  that  there  were 
plotters  mingled  in  among  the  workmen.  That 
night  orders  for  extra  vigilance  in  patroling  the 
dam  were  issued,  and  that  night,  also,  Mr.  Main- 
waring  announced  that  he  intended  to  start  the 
next  day  on  his  search  for  the  troublesome  tribu- 
tary of  the  Chagres  River  which  it  was  his  inten- 
tion to  devise  a  means  to  control. 

As  may  be  imagined,  this  was  great  news  to 
the  boys,  and  they  passed  an  all  but  sleepless 
night  in  their  room  in  Mr.  Mainwaring'^  bunga- 
low, which  stood  in  a  row  of  "gold-men's"  houses, 
among  which  it  was  the  largest  and  best  finished. 

The  boys'  equipment  had  been  brought  up 
from  Panama  with  them  and  was,  as  usual,  all 
in  readiness  for  instant  transportation.  These 
Boy  Scouts  lived  up  to  their  "Be  Prepared" 
motto  all  the  time,  and  to  the  finest  detail.  Wh«tt 


238  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

their  camping  equipment  had  been  packed  up  on 
the  submarine  island  everything  had  been  stowed 
away  with  military  precision  so  that  they  knew, 
without  going  through  a  lot  of  troublesome  over- 
hauling, that  everything,  down  to  their  small 
pocket  water  filters,  was  in  its  right  place. 

A  wagon  transported  their  goods  and  chattels 
to  the  landing  place  on  the  Chagres  the  next 
morning,  right  after  an  early  breakfast.  Mr. 
Raynor  was  to  accompany  his  chief  in  the  capac- 
ity of  assistant,  and  the  surveying  instruments 
and  other  paraphernalia  almost  filled  one  of  the 
odd  native  canoes  they  were  to  use.  Another 
canoe  held  the  camping  outfits.  But  they  were 
not  to  paddle  their  way  laboriously  up  the  swiftly 
flowing  river. 

To  the  delight  of  the  boys  a  light  draught 
launch,  fitted  with  powerful  engines  and  a  spidery 
stern  paddle  wheel,  was  to  do  the  towing  while 
they  took  it  easy.  This  suited  Tubby  down  to 
the  ground,  and  Rob's  cup  of  satisfaction  was 
full  to  the  brim  when  he  learned  that  he  and 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  239 

Merritt  were  to  alternate  as  engineers.  As  we 
know,  both  boys  were  familiar  with  the  manage- 
ment of  gasolene  engines,  and  they  gazed  with 
approval  at  the  fourteen  horse-power,  twin- 
cylinder  engine  of  the  Pathfinder,  as  the  launch 
was  called. 

Before  they  left,  the  chief  of  the  Gatun 
Guards,  as  the  police  that  watched  the  big  dam 
Were  called,  reported  to  Mr.  Mainwaring  that 
nothing  suspicious  had  occurred  during  the  night 
and  also  that  no  trace  could  be  found  of  the 
men  wanted.  This  was  disappointing,  but  the 
boys  were  so  keyed  up  with  the  expectation  of 
the  wonders  that  awaited  them  in  the  tropical 
forests  through  which  the  Chagres  wound  its 
way  on  its  higher  reaches,  that  they  gave  but 
scant  thought  to  Jared  and  the  plotters. 

At  last  all  was  in  readiness ;  Mr.  Mainwaring, 
who  had  the  steering  wheel,  gave  the  signal  to 
start  the  engines. 

Rob  gave  the  big  fly-wheel  a  twist  against  the 
compression,  while  Merritt  turned  on  the  gaso- 


840  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

lene  and  set  the  spark.  The  engine  gave  a  chug 
and  a  snort  and  the  big  stern  paddle  wheel,  which 
gave  the  boat  such  an  odd  look  but  was  neces- 
sary for  shoal  water  navigation,  began  to  beat 
the  water. 

The  boys  gave  a  shout  and  their  patrol  cries. 
From  the  bow  of  the  Pathfinder,  as  a  compliment 
to  them,  fluttered  the  pennants  of  the  Eagles  and 
the  Black  Wolves,  the  same  which  it  had  been 
designed  to  plant  at  old  Panama.  At  the  stern 
waved  Old  Glory.  Astern  towed  the  two  dug- 
outs, loaded  deep  down  with  "duffle." 

Thus  started  a  trip  that  was  to  prove  one  of 
the  most  adventurous  that  lads  ever  embarked 
upon  "by  flood  or  field." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  241 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 
THE  TRACKLESS  JUNGLE. 

As  they  slowly  ascended  the  sluggish,  though 
powerful  current  of  the  muddy  Chagres,  Mr. 
Raynor  told  them  something  about  the  object 
of  their  expedition.  In  the  foothills  of  the 
Cordillero  de  Bando,  a  sort  of  backbone  of  moun- 
tains extending  throughout  the  length  of  the 
Isthmus,  many  small  rivers  rise,  some  of  which 
feed  the  Chagres  and  contribute  to  its  floods. 
The  largest  of  these,  a  stream  known  as  the  Rio 
Chepalto,  was,  in  the  rainy  season,  quite  a  for- 
midable torrent.  Mr.  Mainwaring's  idea  was  to 
construct  a  dam  or  dig  some  sort  of  a  connecting 
link  which  would  divert  the  waters  of  the 
Chepalto  in  flood  time  into  one  of  the  small  rivers 
that  flowed  seaward,  thus  further  taming  the 
Chagres. 

The  Gatun  valley  was  soon  left  behind  and 


242  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

the  Chagres  plunged  into  a  steaming,  luxuriant 
forest.  Between  banks  overgrown  in  wild  pro- 
fusion with  every  sort  of  tropical  growth,  its 
chocolate  colored  current  flowed  silently  along. 
In  places,  muddy  bayous  led  off  from  the  main 
stream  and  these,  the  boys  were  told,  were  the 
haunts  of  crocodiles  and  alligators. 

Everywhere  amidst  the  luxuriant  tangle  on 
the  banks  were  vivid  splashes  of  color,  scarlet, 
yellow,  and  blue.  These  were  the  flowers  of  a 
score  of  varieties  of  tropic  shrubs  and  flowering 
bushes.  They  filled  the  air  with  a  rank,  sweet 
smell  that  was  almost  overpowering.  From  the 
tangle,  too,  there  shot  up  majestic  trees,  from 
whose  branches  drooped  long  lianas,  or  creepers, 
some  of  them  thick  as  a  man's  thigh.  Here  was 
a  clump  of  brilliantly  green  and  feathery  bamboo, 
there  shot  up  a  grove  of  coco-bola  trees,  while 
once  in  a  while,  but  this  rarely,  there  loomed  in 
sight  a  group  of  the  kings  of  the  tropical  forests 
— a  majestic  gathering  of  towering  mahogany 
trees. 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  243 

There  were  also  clumps  of  banana  plants  grow- 
ing to  a  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  with 
immense  broad  leaves  often  six  feet  in  length. 
Curiously  enough,  the  banana  bunches  appeared 
to  be  hanging  upside  down.  Beyond  the  fruit 
extended  a  stem  like  a  snake,  ending  in  a  big 
blossom  something  like  a  red-brown  water  lily. 
There  were  occasional  clumps  of  cocoanut  trees, 
too,  at  which  Tubby  looked  with  a  strange  mix- 
ture of  awe  and  longing. 

Occasionally,  through  all  this  brilliant  jungle 
gaily  colored  parrots  or  a  flock  of  screaming 
macaws  would  fly,  alarmed  by  the  chugging  of 
the  launch.  In  some  of  the  bayous,  pelicans  or 
big  blue  herons  stood  like  sentinels  on  one  leg, 
watching  the  progress  of  the  invaders.  But, 
beautiful  as  it  all  was,  the  boys  missed  the  songs 
of  the  woodland  birds  in  the  north.  Except  for 
the  shrieking  of  the  parrots  and  macaws,  or  the 
occasional  sullen  splash  of  some  unseen  creature 
plunging  into  the  river,  the  vast  forests  that 
reached  for  miles  all  about  them  were  silent. 


244  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Suddenly  the  launch  came  to  a  stop  with  a  soft 
bump.  The  boys  looked  rather  alarmed.  Had 
they  collided  with  some  huge  creature  that  made 
its  home  in  the  tepid  waters  of  the  Chagres? 
They  were  soon  relieved  of  any  anxiety  on  that 
score. 

"Well,  we're  aground  at  last,"  remarked  Mr. 
Mainwaring  in  a  matter-of-fact  tone. 

"You  talk  as  if  you  had  expected  such  a  thing 
to  happen/'  said  Rob  in  some  surprise. 

"Yes  indeed,"  rejoined  the  engineer,  "in  fact, 
I'm  astonished  that  it  didn't  happen  before.  The 
river  is  full  of  sand  banks,  and  sometimes  it 
is  impossible  to  see  the  channel.  I  see  you've 
got  the  engine  stopped  already.  You  had  better 
reverse  now  and  we'll  soon  get  off  again." 

"I  should  think  that  it  would  be  quicker  to  go 
through  the  forests,"  remarked  Rob,  when  with- 
out much  trouble  they  "got  going"  again. 

"It  would  be  almost  twice  as  quick,  but  no- 
body knows  the  paths  but  the  Indians." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  245 

"Indians!"  exclaimed  Tubby.  "Are  there  In- 
dians here?" 

He  clutched  his  rifle  with  a  determined  look, 
for  of  course  the  boys  had  brought  their  weapons 
along. 

"Yes  indeed,  plenty  of  them,  but  I  guess  we 
won't  see  any.  They  are  the  San  Bias  tribe  and 
so  small  as  to  be  almost  pigmies." 

"I  know,  I've  seen  pictures  of  them,"  cried  Rob. 
"They  look  something  like  Japs  only  they've  got 
big  round  heads  and  long,  straight  black  hair." 

"That's  it,"  rejoined  Mr.  Mainwaring;  "they're 
harmless  enough  unless  their  particular  territory 
is  invaded.  No  white  man  has  ever  penetrated 
far  into  their  country  and  come  back  to  tell  the 
tale.  But  they  say  that  back  among  the  forests 
and  mountains  to  which  they  alone  know  the  way 
are  deposits  of  emerald  and  gold  of  priceless 
value." 

"I  should  think  somebody  would  form  an  ex- 
pedition and  raid  the  place,"  said  Tubby  in  a 
war-like  manner. 


246  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"More  easily  said  than  done,"  Mr.  Raynor 
struck  in ;  "it's  been  tried,  but  fever  and  poisoned 
arrows  wiped  out  all  but  a  few  poor,  half-crazed 
wretches  who  struggled  back  to  civilization  more 
dead  than  alive." 

"Do  they  ever  come  down  to  this  part  of  the 
country?"  asked  Merritt. 

"Only  occasionally,  when  a  hunting  expedition 
has  led  them  far  afield,"  rejoined  Mr.  Mainwar- 
ing.  "This  Rio  Chepalto  that  we  are  going  to 
try  to  diverge  runs  back  into  their  country; 
but  where  it  joins  the  Chagres  is  not  forbidden 
ground.  Their  territory  begins  higher  up." 

Suddenly  there  came  another  soft  bump. 

"Aground  again !"  cried  Rob,  stopping  the  en- 
gine. "Shall  I  reverse?" 

"Yes;  do  so  at  once,"  was  the  order. 

But  this  time  the  matter  of  getting  off  the  sand 
bank  was  not  so  simple.  The  two  tow  ropes 
attached  to  the  canoe  became  entangled  in  the 
paddle  wheel  as  the  Pathfinder  backed  up,  and 
they  came  to  a  stop.  An  investigation  showed 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  247 

that  it  might  take  some  time  to  get  it  free.  Tubby 
was  prompt  in  asking  permission  to  go  into  the 
forest  to  see  if  he  couldn't  bring  down  some 
game  of  some  kind. 

"You  and  Fred  will  have  to  go  alone  then," 
said  Mr.  Mainwaring,  "and  don't  go  far  from 
the  river.  We'll  recall  you  by  three  blasts  on 
the  whistle.  Rob  and  Merritt  will  be  needed  to 
help  us  get  untangled  and  to  work  the  engine." 

"Never  mind,  we'll  bring  back  some  game  that 
will  make  their  eyes  bulge,"  declared  Tubby 
valiantly.  "Come  on,  Fred." 

"Wait  till  I  shove  the  landing  plank  ashore," 
said  Fred,  catching  hold  of  a  plank  that  was 
used  for  that  purpose.  The  launch  lay  quite  close 
to  the  shore  and  the  plank,  which  was  ten  feet 
long,  was  of  sufficient  length  to  form  a  bridge. 

"Never  mind  the  plank,"  quoth  Tubby,  "I'll 
just  step  on  this  old  log  here  and " 

"Look  out,  boy!"  came  a  sharp  cry  from  Mr. 
Raynor. 

But  it  was  too  late.    Tubby  had  already  stepped 


248  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

over  the  side  of  the  launch.  As  his  foot  touched 
the  log  a  surprising  thing  happened.  What  had 
seemed  a  balk  of  old  rotten  timber  gave  a  leap 
that  threw  Tubby  into  the  water,  and  at  the 
same  instant  a  vast  pair  of  jaws,  armed  with 
double  rows  of  gleaming  teeth,  flashed  wide  open. 
The  alligator — for  that  was  what  Tubby's  "log" 
was — gave  a  menacing,  hissing  sound  and  a 
flourish  of  its  formidable  tail. 

The  next  instant  a  rifle  cracked  sharply.  The 
creature  gave  a  roar  as  a  bullet  crashed  down 
its  open  throat.  Rob,  seeing  Tubby's  peril,  had 
snatched  Fred's  rifle  from  him  and  pumped  a 
bullet  into  the  monster  reptile  where  it  would  do 
the  most  good.  He  pumped  the  repeating  mechan- 
ism and  two  more  bullets  drove  into  the  'gator 
before  it  sank,  crimsoning  the  muddy  water. 
They  saw  no  more  of  it  and  Mr.  Mainwaring  de- 
clared that  Rob  must  have  killed  it. 

Tubby,  up  to  his  waist  in  water,  gasped  as  he 
beheld  his  narrow  escape  and  Rob's  prompt  ac- 
tion. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  249 

"Ge,e  whiz!  This  is  a  funny  country,"  he 
mumbled,  after  he  had  been  lectured  for  his 
carelessness.  "Cocoanuts  explode  and  old  rotten 
logs  turn  into  alligators." 

On  his  promise  to  be  careful  and  keep  well 
within  call,  Tubby  was  allowed  to  go  on  shore 
with  Fred  and  you  may  be  sure  he  used  the  land- 
ing plank  this  time.  The  two  boys  struck  off 
straight  into  the  jungle  and  then  kept  a  course 
that  lay  parallel  to  the  river  bank.  All  at  once 
Tubby  gave  a  violent  exclamation  and  almost  fell 
over  backward.  A  lizard,  but  a  lizard  almost  as 
big  as  himself,  had  run  through  the  jungle  right 
in  front  of  him. 

"A  Panama  water-lizard,"  declared  Fred,  who 
had  put  in  more  time  studying  the  country  from 
books  than  had  Tubby.  "It's  harmless." 

"It  doesn't  look  so,"  was  Tubby's  comment. 

But  a  more  thrilling  encounter  lay  just  ahead 
of  them.  Hanging  from  a  tree,  and  slowly  sway- 
ing to  and  fro,  was  what  looked  like  a  beautifully 
marked  liana  or  hanging  creeper. 


250  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Oh,  what  a  beauty,"  exclaimed  Fred,  stepping 
forward,  but  the  next  instant  he  recoiled  with  a 
yell  of  alarm. 

The  creeper  had  emitted  a  loud,  angry  hiss 
and  then  they  saw  that  it  was  no  creeper  at  all, 
but  a  brilliantly  colored  snake,  at  least  fifteen 
feet  long,  that  was  swinging  from  a  limb  around 
which  its  tail  was  coiled.  Tubby  echoed  Fred's 
yell  of  alarm  and  the  next  instant  both  boys  tool? 
to  their  heels  in  mad  flight.  The  serpent  had 
swiftly  and  silently  begun  writhing  its  way  to 
the  ground. 

"Run  for  your  life !"  cried  Tubby  wildly.  "He's 
after  us." 

Stumbling  over  creepers,  falling  headlong,  and 
then  struggling  to  their  feet  again,  and  keeping 
on  with  their  mad  rush,  the  two  terrified  boys 
ran  for  their  lives.  Behind  them  came  a  thrash- 
ing sound  as  the  big  snake  made  its  way  after 
them. 

In  their  alarm  they  lost  all  sense  of  direction 
or  distance.  All  they  knew  was  that  the  big 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  251 

reptile  was  pursuing  them,  and  they  raced  along 
without  considering  anything  but  escaping  from 
it.  It  never  even  occurred  to  them  to  open  fire 
on  it  with  their  rifles. 

How  far  they  ran  they  had  no  idea.  All  they 
knew  was  that  at  last,  when,  from  sheer  exhaus- 
tion they  paused,  there  was  no  sound  of  pursuit. 
The  vast  woods  were  silent.  All  at  once  they 
had  a  fresh  fright.  This  time  from  overhead. 
There  was  a  mighty  commotion  in  the  tree-tops 
accompanied  by  shrill  barks  and  cries. 

"Gracious,  what's  coming  now?"  gasped 
Tubby.  "I  wish  we  were  back  on  the  launch !" 

But  it  was  only  a  troop  of  white-faced,  long- 
tailed  monkeys  swinging  by,  traveling  along  the 
tree-top  high  road  at  almost  incredible  speed. 
They  paused  as  they  saw  the  boys  standing  there 
below  them.  Gathering  together  they  began  to 
chatter  and  make  a  terrible  noise. 

Then,  making  horrible  grimaces  and  yelling 
angrily,  they  broke  off  sticks  and  began  to  pelt 
the  two  lads  furiously  with  them.  Suddenly 


252  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

Tubby  raised  his  rifle  and  fired  at  them.  In- 
stantly they  made  off,  shrieking  at  the  top  of  their 
voices  and  swinging  from  limb  to  limb  by  means 
of  their  long  tails  which  they  used  as  conveniently 
as  hands. 

The  monkeys  gone  with  their  bewildering 
chatter,  the  boys  began  to  look  about  them. 
They  were  standing  in  a  spot  where  the  under- 
growth was  not  so  dense,  but  they  could  see  that 
they  were  in  the  depths  of  the  forest.  As  they 
looked  around  them  the  same  thought  clutched 
uncomfortably  hard  at  the  heart  of  each.  How 
far  had  they  come  on  their  wild  run  to  escape 
the  great  serpent?  Also,  in  what  direction  had 
their  retreat  led  them?  Tubby  was  the  first  to 
give  these  disquieting  thoughts  words. 

"Where  are  we,  Fred?" 

"I — I  don't  know.  Haven't  you  got  your  com- 
pass?" 

"Yes,  but  I  didn't  take  any  bearings  when  we 
left  the  river." 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  253 

"Let's  strike  out  and  try  to  get  back.  At  any 
rate  we'll  hear  the  whistle  before  long." 

"That's  so.  I  forgot  that.  Better  sit  down 
here  and  wait  till  we  hear  it,  then.  No  use  wan- 
dering about,  we  might  go  in  a  wrong  direction." 

But  had  the  boys  known  it,  the  launch  whistle, 
not  a  very  powerful  one,  was  at  that  very  minute 
blowing  repeatedly  for  them.  Their  wild  dash 
to  escape  from  the  huge  snake  had  carried  them 
far  into  the  jungle. 

They  sat  there  for  a  long  time,  each  busied 
with  his  own  thoughts.  At  last  Tubby  rose. 

"It's  funny  we  don't  hear  that  whistle,  Fred," 
he  said,  "but  I've  been  thinking  that  maybe  we 
ran  further  than  we  thought  from  that  beast  in 
the  tree.  Now  I'm  pretty  sure  the  river  lies  that 
way,"  he  pointed  in  a  directly  opposite  direction. 
"Let's  strike  out  for  it." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Fred,  whose  face  had 
begun  to  assume  an  alarmed  look.  "S-s-s-s-say, 
Tubby,  you  don't  think  we're  lost,  do  you?" 


354  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

Tubby  was  quick  to  note  the  quaver  in  Fred's 
voice,  and  he  bravely  put  on  a  careless  air. 

"Lost!  Not  a  bit  of  it.  Two  Boy  Scouts  lost 
in  a  bit  of  timber  like  this?  Not  much.  Come 
on,  old  chap,  and  we'll  be  laughing  over  our  scare 
within  an  hour's  time." 

But  hour  after  hour  went  by  and  still  the  two 
lads,  now  thoroughly  scared,  though  neither  had 
yet  admitted  it,  plunged  along  through  the  jungle. 
At  last  when  they  reached  a  small  open  space, 
Fred  could  stand  it  no  longer.  He  sank  down 
on  a  fallen  tree  trunk  and  fairly  gave  way  to  his 
fears. 

"We're  lost,  Tubby,"  he  moaned,  "and  it's  no 
use  going  any  further.  I  can't,  in  fact  I'm 
dead  tired  out.  What  on  earth  shall  we  do  ?" 

The  fat  boy  looked  at  his  comrade  "with  alarmed 
eyes.  It  was  plain  that  Fred  was  on  the  verge 
of  a  nervous  collapse.  Their  position  was  bad 
enough  without  that.  And  yet  Tubby  could  find 
no  words  to  comfort  his  companion.  What  Fred 
had  said  was  the  truth;  they  were  lost  in  the 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  255 

trackless  jungle,  a  terrifying  situation  indeed. 
From  time  to  time  during  their  wanderings  they 
had  fired  their  rifles,  hoping  to  hear  some  re- 
sponse, but  none  had  come. 

Tubby,  however,  had,  whenever  possible, 
marked  the  trail  either  by  barking  or  blazing  a 
tree  with  his  knife  in  Indian  fashion,  or  by  leav- 
ing grass  and  stone  signs  in  a  manner  familiar 
to  all  first-class  Scouts.  This  was  now  the  only 
crumb  of  comfort  he  could  offer  to  Fred. 

"Cheer  up.  Maybe  they'll  pick  up  the  trail," 
he  said  as  hopefully  as  he  could. 

"But  if  they  don't,  we — gracious!  Look 
there!" 

Facing  the  two  lost  boys  was  a  party  of  squatr 
copper-colored  little  men  with  big  round  heads 
and  straight  black  hair.  They  carried  bows  and 
arrows  and  spears.  Their  clothes  consisted  of 
old  sacking,  bits  of  cloth,  anything  in  fact  that 
would  partially  cover  them.  They  evidently 
formed  a  hunting  party,  for  some  of  them  carried 
wild  pigs  and  one  or  two  had  a  deer  slung  on 


«56  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

a  branch  between  them.    They  had  crept  up  quite 

silently  and  now  regarded  the  interlopers  intently. 

For  an  instant  the  two  white  boys  stood 
stock-still,  as  if  turned  to  stone.  Then  by  a 
natural  impulse,  they  turned  and  started  to  run. 
But  a  spear  whizzed  through  the  air  after  them, 
transfixing  itself  quivering  in  a  tree  just  above 
their  heads. 

This  brought  them  to  a  halt.  Weapons  they 
had  none,  for  when  they  paused  they  had  laid 
down  their  rifles  and  in  their  precipitate,  startled 
flight  had  forgotten  to  pick  them  up  again. 

Utterly  unnerved  by  this  added  sheaf  to  their 
bundle  of  misfortunes,  the  two  Boy  Scouts  stood 
facing  the  Indians  who,  they  had  no  doubt, 
formed  a  hunting  or  scouting  party  sent  out  by 
the  San  Bias  tribes  that  made  their  homes  back 
in  the  mysterious  recesses  of  the  mountains 
where  rose  the  headwaters  of  the  Chepalta. 


For  an  instant  the  two  white  boys  stooH  stock-still,  as  It 
turned  to  stone. — Page  256. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  S«7 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

A  CHAPTER  OF  ACCIDENTS. 

In  the  meantime  Rob  and  Merritt,  working 
waist  deep  in  the  muddy  shallows,  had  succeeded, 
after  some  rather  arduous  work,  in  clearing  the 
stern  wheel  of  its  entangling  rope.  The  line  had 
become  twisted  in  and  out  of  the  shaft  in  such 
a  way  that  it  was  necessary  in  places  to  cut  it 
loose. 

When  this  had  been  done,  Mr.  Mainwaring 
decided  that  before  blowing  the  whistle  to  sum- 
mon back  the  young  hunters  they  would  give 
the  machinery  a  test.  Accordingly,  when  the 
canoes  had  been  secured  to  the  shore,  Rob  re- 
versed the  engine  and  started  it  up. 

For  a  moment  it  whirled  and  chugged  away, 
straining  to  back  the  launch  off  the  muddy  shal- 
lows in  which  she  had  grounded.  The  lightly 
built  craft  trembled  under  the  effort.  The  en- 


358  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

gine  snorted  and  puffed  as  more  power  was  ap- 
plied. 

"Hooray!  We're  afloat  once  more!"  cried 
Merritt  triumphantly,  as  the  launch  was  caught 
in  the  current  and  swung  free.  But  at  the  same 
instant  came  an  ominous  cracking  sound.  The 
engine  raced  wildly  and  then  stopped  as  Rob 
shut  off  the  power. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  cried  Mr.  Raynor 
apprehensively,  as  the  launch  began  to  drift 
downstream  in  a  helpless  way. 

"Wait  a  minute.  I'll  see,"  cried  Rob,  and  then 
the  next  instant,  "The  driving  chain  has 
snapped !" 

"Throw  out  the  anchor  before  we  drift  any 
more,"  cried  Mr.  Mainwaring. 

This  was  done  and  then  Rob  set  about  making 
an  investigation.  As  he  had  declared,  the  driv- 
ing chain,  which  drove  the  stern  wheel  just  as  a 
bicycle  sprocket  is  revolved,  had  parted  in  the 
middle.  Undoubtedly  the  strain  that  had  been 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  269 

placed  on  it  when  they  were  backing  the  launch 
off  had  proved  too  much  for  its  strength. 

They  regarded  the  accident  with  some  dismay. 

"Great  Scotland!  That  means  we  are  stuck," 
exclaimed  Merritt. 

"Unquestionably,  unless  we  can  make  some  re- 
pairs," admitted  Mr.  Mainwaring. 

"Do  you  think  you  can  fix  it,  Rob  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Raynor. 

"I  might  manage  to  make  a  temporary  link 
out  of  wire,"  replied  Rob,  "but  I'm  afraid  it 
wouldn't  hold  long  against  the  current." 

"Isn't  there  a  spare  chain  in  the  tool  locker?" 
asked  Merritt. 

Mr.  Mainwaring  shook  his  head. 

"There's  nothing  for  it  but  to  turn  back  and 
get  a  new  link  forged,"  he  said.  "Too  bad !" 

"It  is  indeed,"  agreed  Rob.  "Shall  I  make  a 
link  out  of  steel  wire?  I  guess  that  would  be 
strong  enough  to  carry  us  down  with  the  stream 
if  we  go  slowly. 

"Yes,  do  so,"  was  the  reply.     "Merritt,  will 


260  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

you  sound  the  return  whistle  for  Bob  Hopkin* 

and  Fred?" 

Merritt  pulled  the  cord  connecting  with  the 
compressed  air  whistle  and  tugged  it  lustily. 
Then  he  paused  and  blew  again,  keeping  this  up 
for  some  time.  No  reply  had  come;  but  as  yet 
they  felt  no  anxiety.  It  was  likely  that  the  boys 
would  take  some  time  in  returning,  and  the  possi- 
bility of  their  being  out  of  ear-shot  of  the  whistle 
did  not  occur  to  any  of  the  party. 

But  when  an  hour  had  passed  and  then  an- 
other dragged  its  slow  length  away  without 
bringing  any  signs  of  the  absentees,  anxiety  gave 
place  to  alarm  and  alarm  to  genuine  fear  that 
harm  might  have  overtaken  them.  They  looked 
blankly  at  each  other.  For  a  time  no  one  spoke. 

Suddenly,  from  a  great  distance  as  it  seemed, 
there  came  the  sound  of  a  rifle  shot. 

Had  they  but  known  it,  the  sound  was  caused 
by  Tubby's  shot  at  the  band  of  monkeys.  Al- 
though ignorant  of  its  cause,  it  made  the  dismayed 
little  party's  spirits  pick  up  a  bit  to  hear  at  least 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  861 

some  sound  of  the  two  young  hunters,  even 
though  they  knew  that  they  must  be  some  distance 
off. 

"Raynor,"  ordered  Mr.  Mainwaring,  "I  don't 
know  whether  that  shot  was  merely  a  signal  that 
they  are  coming,  or  a  signal  of  distress.  In  any 
event  I  am  going  ashore.  Rob,  you  may  come 
with  me  if  you  like.  Bring  your  rifle.  Merritt, 
you  keep  guard  with  Mr.  Raynor." 

The  engineer  merely  nodded  in  answer  to  his 
chief's  orders.  Merritt  looked  rather  disap- 
pointed. He  would  have  liked  to  accompany  the 
searchers,  but  as  he  knew  that  was  impossible 
he  put  the  best  face  possible  on  the  matter  and 
helped  Rob  and  Mr  Mainwaring  to  get  ashore 
by  means  of  the  plank. 

Almost  instantly  the  jungle  swallowed  them 
up.  As  they  vanished  from  sight,  Raynor  sighed. 
Merritt  looking  up  saw  that  he  looked  distressed. 
He  ventured  to  ask  him  what  was  the  matter. 

"I  don't  just  know  why,  my  boy,  but  I've  got 
an  idea  that  the  lads  are  in  trouble  in  the  woods 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 
yonder,"  he  said.     "I  don't  like  the  idea  of  that 
distant  shot." 

"You — you  don't  think  that  there  are  any  In- 
dians off  in  the  forest,  do  you?"  asked  Merritt, 
turning  a  shade  paler. 

"I  don't  think  anything.  I  don't  want  to  say 
anything  till  I'm  sure ;  but  we're  not  so  far  from 
San  Bias  country  that  a  wandering  hunting 
party  might  not  happen  along  through  the  forest. 
They  have  the  jungle  honeycombed  with  paths 
known  only  to  themselves." 

"But  supposing — just  supposing  that  the  boys 
did  fall  in  with  them,  would  the  Indians  do  them 
any  harm?" 

"Impossible  to  say,  Merritt.  This  I  do  know, 
however,  that  the  Indians'  minds  have  been 
worked  on  by  those  who  are  opposed  to  the  canal 
until  they  have  been  taught  to  regard  all  white 
men  as  their  enemies.  They  have  been  told  that 
the  making  of  the  canal  will  flood  out  their  hunt- 
ing grounds  and  drive  them  into  remoter  parts 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  263 

of  the  country.  Naturally,  they  regard  white 
men  with  suspicion  and  hatred." 

While  this  conversation  was  going  on,  Mr. 
Mainwaring,  whose  face  was  sadly  troubled,  and 
his  young  companion,  had  been  pushing  their  way 
through  the  jungle.  Fortunately  the  trail  of 
Tubby  and  Fred  was  pretty  well  marked  where 
they  had  shoved  their  way  through  the  under- 
brush. Finally  they  came  to  the  spot  where  the 
two  boys  had  met  with  the  serpent.  Rob  ex- 
amined the  ground  with  the  instinct  of  a  true 
scout  and  skillful  trapper.  Traces  of  a  sudden 
stoppage  and  a  precipitate  flight  off  into  the 
jungle  were  plainly  visible. 

But  what  had  caused  the  boys  to  beat  such 
a  rapid  retreat  was  by  no  means  so  plain. 

"Can  you  make  out  anything,  Rob  ?"  asked  Mr. 
Mainwaring,  after  a  pause. 

"No,  sir,"  said  Rob  perplexedly,  "except  that 
something  appears  to  have  frightened  them  just 
at  this  point.  You  can  see  by  their  footmarks  in 
this  soft  mud  that  they  were  running  fast  when 


THE   BOY   SCOUTS 
they  made  off.    And  see  here,  sir,  where  one  of 
them  fell  and  scrambled  up  again,  going  on  as 
quickly  as  before." 

"Jove,  you  can  read  all  that  in  those  tracks?" 

"That's  part  of  the  Boy  Scout  training,  sir," 
rejoined  Rob  modestly. 

"It's  wonderful!  Wonderful!  But  tell  me, 
can  you  see  the  signs  of  any  wild  beasts?" 

"Not  one.  That's  what  makes  it  so  mysteri- 
ous. It  is  plain  that  something  was  after  them 
and  yet  there  are  no  tracks." 

"Well,  we  had  better  follow  up  the  train  they 
have  left  through  the  jungle.  That  is  our  only 
course,  in  fact." 

On  and  on  they  pursued  the  trail,  going  slowly 
of  necessity.  Here  they  would  lose  the  trail  for 
a  time  and  then  again  in  a  few  minutes  Rob's 
cleverness  as  a  Scout  would  pick  it  up  again  by 
means  of  a  broken  blade  of  grass  or  a  creeper 
that  had  been  brushed  aside.  Never  had  the 
young  leader's  well-trained  faculties  been  more 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  265 

on  the  alert  than  now  as  he  followed  his  chum's 
trail  through  the  trackless  jungle. 

And  all  the  while  poor  Tubby  and  Fred  were 
wandering  further  and  further  from  them.  At 
length  they  reached  the  open  space  where  the 
boys  had  paused  a  while  and  Tubby  had  shot  at 
the  monkeys  overhead.  All  at  once  Rob  darted 
forward.  On  the  ground  he  had  spied  a  brass 
shell.  They  examined  it  and  found  that  it  tallied 
with  the  caliber  of  Tubby 's  rifle,  but  beyond  this 
there  was  no  further  clue. 

Suddenly  Rob  gave  a  cry  of  delight.  He 
eagerly  examined  what  appeared  to  Mr.  Main- 
waring  to  be  nothing  more  than  a  clump  of 
pampas  grass  slightly  bent  over  to  the  left.  But 
Rob's  quick  eye  had  caught  sight  of  a  band  of 
grass  tied  round  its  top  just  below  the  bend.  To 
an  ordinary  person's  eye  this  would  have  meant 
nothing.  But  to  Rob,  trained  in  scouting,  it 
meant  that  the  two  lads  they  were  pursuing  had 
turned  to  the  left. 

On  they  went  again,  never  flagging  through 


266  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

the  hot  noonday,  but  patiently  picking  up  the 
trail  as  they  went  along.  Now  a  scratch  on  the 
bark  of  a  limb  would  show  Rob  the  direction, 
presently  some  trampled  grass  or  flowers  led  him 
on,  again  he  would  stumble  on  one  of  Tubby's 
stone  or  grass  signs. 

All  the  time  the  trail  kept  getting  fresher. 
Their  hopes  rose  high. 

"We're  catching  up  on  them,"  cried  Rob.  "It's 
slow  but  sure;  we're  catching  up." 

Presently  they  stood  in  the  space  under  the 
tall  trees  where  Tubby  and  Fred  had  paused  and 
where  the  San  Bias  Indians  had  surprised  them. 
Rob,  like  a  pointer  dog,  went  rapidly  hither  and 
thither,  crouched  low,  looking  for  the  tiny  signs 
which  mean  so  little  to  an  untrained  and  so  much 
to  a  carefully  educated  eye. 

Suddenly  he  gave  a  sharp  cry.  It  brought  Mr. 
Mainwaring  to  his  side  in  an  instant. 

"Look,  sir!  Here  in  this  soft  earth!  The 
print  of  bare  feet !  Very  small  bare  feet !  What 
does  it  mean?" 


AT   THE   PANAMA   CANAL  267 

"Indians!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Mainwaring,  his 
face  working.  "The  trail  ends  here,  Rob.  Oh, 
my  poor  boy !  My  poor  boy !" 

And,  quite  overcome,  Mr.  Mainwaring  sank 
down  on  the  same  log  on  which,  had  he  but 
known  it,  his  son  Fred  had  collapsed  but  a  short 
time  before.  It  was  a  long  time  that  he  sat 
there  with  his  head  buried  in  his  hands,  and 
when  he  raised  his  face  Rob  saw  that  it  was 
white  and  strangely  drawn,  but  full  of  deter- 
mination. 

"What  are  we  to  do,  sir?"  demanded  Rob. 
"I'm  afraid  that,  as  you  say,  there  is  no  doubt 
they  have  been  carried  off;  but  luckily,  I  see  no 
signs  of  a  struggle.  Perhaps  there  is  hope." 

Mr.  Mainwaring  had  said  nothing  and  Rob  had 
not  told  him  of  his  discovery  of  a  spear  that  still 
stuck  in  the  tree  into  which  it  had  darted  quiver- 
ing above  Tubby's  head.  He  could  not  find  it 
in  his  heart  to  increase  Mr.  Mainwaring's  dis- 
tress, and,  agitated  as  he  himself  was,  Rob  had 


268  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

still  thoughtfulness  enough  not  to  add  to  an- 
other's burdens. 

Presently  he  repeated  his  question. 

"Have  you  any  plan,  sir  ?" 

Mr.  Mainwaring  sprang  to  his  feet;  his  eyes 
had  a  hard  glint  in  them. 

"Yes,  I  have  a  plan,"  he  exclaimed,  "the  only 
plan  that  can  save  them.  We  must  return  at 
once,  get  a  powerful  force  and  ransack  this 
forest  from  end  to  end.  Perhaps  if  the  Indians 
learn  of  this,  and  learn  of  it  they  will  quick 
enough,  they  will  give  the  boys  up." 

Slowly,  each  busied  with  his  own  thougnts, 
they  made  their  way  back  toward  the  river.  But 
before  they  reached  it,  it  began  to  grow  dusk. 
An  uneasy  wind  sighed  in  the  tops  of  the  forest 
trees.  But  for  this  a  death-like  stillness  pre- 
vailed. 

"We  must  hurry.  A  storm  is  coming  on,"  said 
Mr.  Mainwaring  looking  upward. 

Before  long  they  could  catch  the  glint  of  the 
river  through  the  trees.  But  here  a  fresh  sur- 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL 

prise  awaited  them.  There  lay  the  canoes,  just 
as  they  had  left  them;  everything  looked  the 
same,  but  of  the  launch  there  was  not  a  sign! 

They  could  hardly  believe  their  eyes,  but  the 
fact  remained  that  the  Pathfinder  had  vanished; 
nor  was  there  any  trace  of  its  two  occupants.  It 
was  at  this  moment  that  Rob  noticed  that  the 
river  seemed  to  be  flowing  more  swiftly  and  that 
its  level  had  risen. 


270  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

THE  RUINED  CITY. 

It  would  have  been  worse  than  useless  for 
Tubby  or  Fred  to  have  attempted  flight,  as  the 
stout  youth  had  rightly  conjectured.  Resistance 
would  have  been  equally  foolhardly.  This  would 
have  been  so  in  any  case,  but  any  move  against 
the  Indians  was  now  rendered  doubly  dangerous 
by  the  fact  that  two  of  the  odd-looking  little 
natives  had  picked  up  the  two  rifles  the  boys  had 
so  foolishly  forgotten  and  were  examining  them 
in  a  way  that  showed  that  they  had  knowledge 
enough  of  the  white  man's  weapons  to  use  them, 
should  occasion  offer. 

After  a  vast  deal  of  jabbering  in  their  un- 
known tongue,  two  of  the  Indians  bound  Tubby's 
hands  behind  his  back  while  the  others  stood 
guard  to  protect  their  companions  against  any 
sudden  move.  Then  came  Fred's  turn.  This 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  271 

done,  the  boys  were  led  across  the  open  space  to 
a  clump  of  trees  from  amidst  which  the  Indians 
had  first  appeared. 

To  Tubby's  astonishment  he  saw  that  a  nar- 
row, but  well  beaten  trail  ran  through  the  jungle 
from  this  point.  But  in  what  direction  it  led  he 
was,  of  course,  ignorant.  He  guessed,  however, 
that  it  must  be  one  of  the  secret  Indian  paths  to 
which  Mr.  Raynor  had  referred.  On  either  side 
of  the  narrow  trail  the  jungle  grew  up  thick  and 
impenetrable.  Two  Indians  walked  in  front,  then 
came  the  boys,  behind  marched  the  other  In- 
dians. 

"W-w-w-w-what  is  going  to  become  of  us?" 
quavered  Fred  as  they  moved  along  at  a  swift 
though  steady  pace. 

"I  don't  know.  I  guess  we  are  bound  for  some 
village  or  other  back  in  the  San  Bias  country. 
It's  a  good  sign  though  that  they  haven't  offered 
us  any  violence." 

Fred  could  not  but  agree  that  this  was  so. 
But  little  more  talk  was  indulged  in  between  the 


272  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

two  captives.  It  was  not  a  situation  that  adapted 
itself  to  conversation.  Hour  after  hour  they 
trudged  along  through  the  tropical  forest  until 
at  last  they  came  upon  something  startling. 

In  front  of  them,  as  they  rounded  a  curve  in 
the  crooked  trail,  there  suddenly  rose  up  some- 
thing that  seemed  menacingly  to  dispute  their 
further  passage  through  the  forest. 

There,  facing  them,  was  a  hideous  monster 
carved  out  of  a  white  stone  or  marble,  they  could 
not  be  sure  which.  The  thing  loomed  ghastly 
white  against  a  background  of  dark  trees.  Spots 
of  rank  moss  grew  on  its  glaring  stone  face.  Its 
stumpy  hands  were  folded  and  tucked  up  on  its 
breast;  its  legs  and  feet,  shaped  like  a  water 
creature's,  were  drawn  up  under  its  belly.  But 
it  was  the  awful  face  with  its  sinister  glare  that 
gave  the  boys  a  start  that  quivered  through  their 
frames.  As  if  in  proof  of  its  antiquity  the  statue 
was  broken  in  places  and  leaned  slightly  to  one 
side.  Through  the  cracks  in  the  white  stone, 
great,  twisted,  gnarled  tree  trunks,  like  serpents, 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  273 

writhed  in  and  out.  Altogether  it  was  as  horrible 
an  object  to  come  upon  in  the  depths  of  a  great 
forest  as  the  mind  could  conceive.  Small  wonder 
the  boys  shuddered  at  it.  The  Indians,  however, 
did  not  appear  to  regard  it  with  much  awe. 

"What  an  awful  looking  thing!"  shuddered 
Fred,  who  had  turned  pale. 

"Pshaw !  It's  only  an  old  idol,"  Tubby  scoffed, 
assuming  a  bold  air  for  Fred's  comfort.  "Lots 
of  'em  in  this  part  of  the  world.  Crackers! 
Fred,  I  shouldn't  wonder  but  what  we  are  com- 
ing to  one  of  those  ancient  cities  that  have  long 
been  supposed  to  exist  in  this  part  of  the  world. 
I  think — Great  Caesar !  Look  there,  will  you  ?" 

A  wilderness  of  ruins  suddenly  opened  before 
them  as  they  topped  a  small  rise.  Everywhere 
was  a  confusion  of  tumbled  idols,  pillars,  blocks 
of  stone,  heavy  walls,  flights  of  steps,  some  whole, 
some  tumbling  with  decay,  others  still  upright. 
Roots,  branches  and  curling  vines  writhed  in  and 
out  of  the  scene  of  desolation  like  great  snakes. 
Here  and  there  trees  shot  up  from  the  empty 


•J74  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

walls  of  roofless  palaces.  Their  restless  shadows 
waved  mournfully  above  the  ruins.  Further  back 
stood  a  building  that  surmounted  a  sort  of  plat- 
form of  white  stone.  It  was  reached  by  a  flight 
of  steps  on  one  side.  On  the  other  the  walls 
towered  up  steep  and  slippery.  They  would  not 
have  afforded  foothold  to  a  fly. 

The  Indians  marched  the  boys  up  the  steps 
leading  to  this  dismal  palace.  From  the  top  of 
the  platform  they  could  see  over  the  ruined  city 
in  all  directions.  And  off  to  one  side  was  a 
sight  that  made  Tubby's  heart  beat  more  quickly. 
He  had  caught  the  glint  of  a  river,  and  on  its 
banks  he  had  seen  three  canoes  drawn  up.  If 
only  they  could  reach  that  stream  they  might 
still  escape.  But  such  a  prospect  appeared  to  be 
remote  in  the  extreme. 

They  were  marshaled  into  the  chamber  within 
the  watts  they  had  noticed  from  below.  It  was 
of  massive  but  rude  architecture  and  was  roof- 
less, but  the  walls  sloped  inward,  making  any  idea 
of  climbing  them  out  of  the  question.  From 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  275 

cracks  in  the  walls  grew  tropic  plants  and  creep- 
ers. To  the  boys'  surprise,  once  within  this  place, 
their  hands  were  untied.  But  this  in  itself  was 
a  bad  sign  so  far  as  hope  of  escape  went.  It 
meant  that  the  Indians  knew  there  was  no  hope 
of  their  captives  getting  away. 

Two  guards  were  set  to  watch  them  at  the 
door,  and  then  the  others  left.  The  guards  took 
up  their  station  at  the  door  with  their  wicked- 
looking  spears  all  ready  for  instant  action. 
Tubby,  with  his  ruling  passion  still  strong — and 
as  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  fearfully  hungry  and 
faint  after  their  long  march — eyed  longingly 
some  red  fruit  that  grew  on  one  of  the  shrubs 
clinging  to  the  wall.  He  was  about  to  pluck  some 
when  Fred  drew  him  back. 

"Don't  touch  those,  Tubby,  they're  not  good 
to  eat,"  he  exclaimed.  "I  recognize  the  leaf. 
It's  just  like  a  deadly  nightshade  leaf  at  home. 
I  guess  they  are  a  giant  variety  of  that  poisonous 
plant." 


276  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

"Phew!  I'm  glad  I  didn't  touch 'em.  Would 
they  kill  you?" 

"If  you  ate  many.  A  few  would  only  put  you 
to  sleep.  They  contain  a  drug  called  bella-donna 
which  is  a  narcotic." 

Just  then  one  of  the  natives  appeared  with  two 
earthenware  bowls  full  of  half  raw  meat.  The 
boys  were  hungry  or  they  could  not  have  touched 
the  stuff.  As  it  was,  they  ate  all  they  could,  but 
left  quite  a  quantity.  As  they  ate  their  guards 
eyed  them  in  an  odd  way.  It  looked  as  if  they 
were  hungry,  too,  and  would  have  liked  to  eat. 

The  boys  could  see  out  through  the  door,  and, 
after  eating  all  they  could,  they  amused  them- 
selves by  looking  over  the  ruined  city.  They 
could  see  smoke  rising  some  distance  off  among 
the  trees,  and  guessed  that  the  main  camp  of 
the  Indians  was  there.  Probably,  they  guessed — 
and  in  this  they  were  right — the  superstitious 
Indians  did  not  like  to  camp  among  the  ruins  of 
the  lost  race,  although  they  had  no  objection  to 
jailing  their  prisoners  there. 


AT   THE    PANAMA   CANAL  277 

As  it  grew  dusk,  the  sky  clouded  over.  Thun- 
der began  to  rumble  in  the  distance  and  the  wind 
moaned  in  a  most  melancholy  way  among  the 
trees  that  overshadowed  the  ruins.  Far  off  they 
could  hear  the  Indians  shouting  and  singing  in 
a  coarse,  unmusical  way.  Seemingly  they  were 
celebrating  the  success  of  their  chase  and  capture 
of  the  two  white  boys. 

At  any  rate,  they  appeared  to  forget  the  two 
guards  utterly.  It  grew  dark  and  the  men  still 
sat  there.  They  had  lighted  a  small  fire  outside 
the  ruined  temple,  or  whatever  it  had  been,  and 
the  glow  of  it  revealed  their  still  and  silent 
figures  to  the  boy  captives.  One  of  them  took 
some  kind  of  cake  from  his  girdle  presently  and 
took  a  bite  of  it.  Then  he  offered  it  to  his  com- 
panion who  bit  into  it  hungrily.  It  was  plain 
that  the  two  Indians  were  getting  hungry. 

Tubby  was  about  to  try  to  conciliate  them  by 
offering  them  what  the  boys  had  left  in  their 
bowls,  when  he  had  a  sudden  inspiration.  He 
went  to  the  wall  and  began  picking  some  of  the 


278  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

berries  Fred  had  told  him  not  to  touch.  Fred, 
who  had  fallen  into  a  fitful  slumber,  did  not 
notice  him,  and  Tubby  proceeded  uninterruptedly 
with  what  he  was  about. 

It  was  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  later  and 
the  rumble  of  the  approaching  storm  was  grow- 
ing nearer  and  nearer  when  Tubby  arose  and, 
picking  up  the  two  bowls,  approached  the  guards. 
Instantly  they  sprang  to  their  feet  and  presented 
their  spear  blades  at  him.  But  Tubby,  by  signs, 
explained  that  he  and  his  companion  had  not 
been  able  to  eat  all  their  rations  and  wanted  to 
give  them  the  rest. 

As  Tubby's  shrewd  mind  had  guessed  from 
what  he  had  seen,  the  two  guards  were  famished. 
They  saw  no  harm  in  taking  the  meat  from  the 
prisoner  who  was  kind  enough  to  offer  it.  They 
grabbed  the  bowls  and  in  a  minute,  as  it  appeared 
to  the  astonished  fat  boy,  they  had  emptied  them. 
Tubby  regarded  the  two  Indians  admiringly.  He 
had  never  seen  edibles  disposed  of  so  swiftly. 

When  they  had  eaten,  the  guards  became  stern 

\ 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  2Y9 

again.  They  motioned  Tubby  back  to  the  in- 
terior of  the  ruinous  structure.  The  stout  boy 
obeyed  and  sank  down  on  the  floor  apparently 
composing  himself  to  sleep,  but  in  reality  he  was 
watching  the  two  guards  with  intent  eyes.  Sud- 
denly he  gave  a  grunt  of  satisfaction.  The 
guards  began  to  nod  sleepily.  One  almost  fell 
over.  He  recovered  himself,  but  in  an  instant 
he  was  off  to  sleep  again;  as  for  his  companion, 
after  an  ineffectual  effort  to  awaken  his  com- 
rade, he  too  sank  into  a  deep  slumber,  falling 
across  the  threshold  of  the  place. 

Instantly  Tubby  was  all  activity.  Quickly  he 
aroused  Fred. 

"Wake  up!  Quick!  Don't  ask  questions. 
Follow  me." 

"Why?    What?"  began  Fred  sleepily. 

"Not  a  word.  WeVe  got  to  move  quick.  I 
squeezed  the  juice  of  those  berries  you  told  me 
about  into  the  remains  of  our  supper.  The 
guards  ate  it.  They're  fast  asleep.  It's  up  to 


280  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

us  to  cut  and  run  for  those  canoes  on  the  river 

bank." 

Fred  was  alert  in  an  instant.  As  he  rose  softly 
to  his  feet  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning  illumined 
his  face.  Tubby  saw  that  it  was  set  and  deter- 
mined as  became  a  Black  Wolf  Scout.  He 
gripped  Fred's  hand  tightly. 

"Whatever  happens,  keep  your  nerve,"  he  en- 
joined. 

Then,  hand  in  hand  and  on  tiptoe,  the  two 
boys  crept  toward  the  doorway.  As  they  werfr 
stepping  over  one  of  the  sleeping  guards  Tubby, 
by  the  glow  of  the  fire,  saw  that  a  small  bag 
that  the  fellow  had  had  tied  at  his  waist  had  burst 
as  he  fell  headlong  in  his  slumber,  and  that  a 
lot  of  odd-looking  pebbles  lay  scattered  about 
near  it.  Yielding  to  he  knew  not  what  impulse, 
he  stooped  and  stuffed  a  handful  of  the  rocks 
into  the  pocket  of  his  Scout  coat. 

It  was  work  to  bring  the  lads'  hearts  into  their 
mouths,  this  advance  out  upon  the  open  plat- 
form with  the  firelight  on  them  to  betray  their 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  281 

every  movement.  Far  off  they  could  catch  the 
glow  of  the  Indians'  campfire;  but  for  all  they 
knew  other  guards  might  be  about  and  at  any 
minute  they  expected  to  hear  a  spear  or  an  arrow 
whiz  by  them.  But  nothing  of  the  sort  hap- 
pened. They  reached  the  river  bank  in  safety. 

The  lightning  was  now  flashing  incessantly. 
By  its  gleam  they  saw  the  canoes,  with  their 
paddles  alongside,  lying  as  they  had  last  seen 
them.  Tubby  advanced,  and,  catching  hold  of 
one,  turned  it  over.  The  next  instant  he  gave  a 
terrified  yell.  As  he  had  turned  it,  there  had 
leaped  from  under  it,  where  he  had  evidently 
been  sleeping,  an  Indian  armed  with  a  spear. 

Before  he  could  cast  it,  Tubby  ducked  low 
and  rushed  in  on  the  man  like  a  young  bullock. 
The  little  San  Bias  native  went  down  in  the  mud 
with  a  splash.  Tubby  wrested  the  spear  from 
him  and  sent  it  flying.  As  the  Indian  struggled 
to  his  feet  Fred  gave  him  a  blow  on  the  mouth 
that  must  have  driven  some  of  his  teeth  in,  to 
judge  by  the  sound. 


282  THE    BOY    SCOUTS 

"Quick!"  ordered  Tubby  in  a  tense  undertone, 
"into  the  water  with  those  other  canoes  now." 

"But  we  only  want  one." 

"We  don't  want  'em  to  chase  us,  do  we?"  ex- 
claimed the  fat  boy  sharply.  "Over  with  'em  I 
say." 

Fred  shoved  the  two  dugouts  off.  In  a  jiffy 
the  current  caught  them  and  they  went  sailing  out 
of  sight.  At  the  same  instant  there  came  an- 
other flash  of  lightning.  It  showed  the  river, 
swollen  and  angry,  racing  furiously  along. 

"Can  you  handle  a  paddle,  Fred?"  asked 
Tubby. 

"Yes;  I  had  a  canoe  on  the  Hudson,"  was  the 
reply. 

"Well,  this  is  going  to  beat  any  Hudson  you 
ever  saw.  There's  a  storm  in  the  mountains 
evidently,  and  the  river  is  rising  .very  minute. 
It  can't  be  helped,  though.  Take  a  paddle  and 
shove  off." 

Luckily  both  boys  knew  something  about 
canoes  or  the  start  of  that  dugout  would  like- 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  283 

wise  have  been  its  finish.  But  they  saved  it  by 
skillful,  swift  handling  from  a  capsize.  The 
next  instant  they  were  in  it,  being  hurled  off  at 
a  dizzy  pace  down  the  rushing  current.  Behind 
them  came  yells  and  savage  shouts.  Their  escape 
had  evidently  been  discovered,  probably  when  a 
change  of  guards  was  made. 

"Whoop!"  shouted  Tubby  back  defiantly. 
"We're  off  on  the  Chagres  Limited,  you  shirtless 
sons  of  iniquity;  it'll  take  better  men  than  you 
to  catch  us  now !" 

The  cranky  canoe  rocked  wildly,  and  then  shot 
off  into  the  darkness,  hurtled  along  by  the  sweep- 
ing current  of  an  unknown  river. 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 
"BE  PREPARED." 

We  must  now  go  back  to  Mr.  Raynor  and 
Merritt  whom  we  left  in  the  launch,  a  prey  to 
no  very  enviable  thoughts.  As  the  sound  of 
Rob's  and  Mr.  Mainwaring's  footsteps  died  away 
in  the  forest,  they  fell  to  speculating  on  the  fate 
of  their  young  comrades.  All  at  once  Merritt 
turned  to  his  companion  with  an  exclamation. 

"Isn't  the  river  current  flowing  more  swiftly?" 
he  asked. 

Mr.  Raynor  gazed  over  the  side  at  the  muddy 
stream. 

"It  surely  is,"  he  decided.  "I  shouldn't  wonder 
but  there's  a  storm  back  in  the  mountains." 

As  the  stream  flowed  more  swiftly  and  with 
greater  volume  Merritt  looked  with  some  anxiety 
at  their  anchor  rope.  It  was  not  a  particularly 
thick  one  and  the  stream  was  tugging  frantically 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  285 

at  the  launch.  Suddenly,  without  the  slightest 
warning,  there  was  a  sharp  snapping  sound  and 
the  rope  parted.  Before  they  had  time  to  ex- 
change a  word,  the  launch  was  a  hundred  yards 
down  stream.  It  was  almost  impossible  to  turn 
her  about  or  direct  her  course,  but  accident  ac- 
complished for  them  what  they  had  not  been 
able  to  do  for  themselves.  The  Pathfinder  sud- 
denly struck  a  sand  bank,  gave  a  giddy  sort  of 
yaw  and  swung  round,  heading  bow  on  down  the 
stream. 

The  next  instant  the  current  which  was  still 
rising  caught  her  and  shot  her  off  down  stream 
with  her  bow  pointing  in  the  right  direction. 
Mr.  Raynor  grabbed  the  spokes  of  the  steering 
wheel  before  the  craft  had  a  chance  to  smash 
into  the  bank  and  Merritt  set  the  engine  slowly 
going  on  reverse  so  as  to  check,  as  much  as 
possible,  the  furious  speed.  He  had  grave  doubts 
of  the  patched-up  link  holding,  but  he  nursed  it 
along  as  carefully  as  he  could. 

It  was  not  till  they  had  gone  some  distance 


286  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

that  either  of  them  had  a  chance  to  speak,  and 
then  naturally  their  first  words  were  about  those 
they  had  left  behind.  What  anxieties  beset  them 
may  be  imagined.  Two  of  their  number  were 
lost ;  the  pair  that  had  set  out  to  find  them  would 
return  either  with  or  without  the  castaways,  but 
in  any  case  to  find  the  launch  gone.  That  it  was 
all  as  unavoidable  as  fate  made  no  difference  to 
the  seriousness  of  the  situation. 

The  Pathfinder,  handled  with  consummate 
skill  by  Mr.  Raynor,  reached  the  Gatun  settle- 
ment that  evening,  and  the  news  spread  like 
wildfire  that  the  boys  were  lost  and  that  Mr. 
Mainwaring  had  been  left,  by  force  of  circum- 
stances, in  the  forest.  Everyone  there  appre- 
ciated the  gravity  of  the  situation.  The  river 
was  rising  and  it  might  be  impossible  to  ascend 
it  for  a  week,  even  if  then. 

From  the  vivid  flashes  of  lightning  visible  in 
the  far-off  peaks  it  was  clear  that  back  in  the 
wild  Cordillera  the  storm  was  raging  savagely. 
The  water  continued  to  rise.  After  supper  Mr. 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  287 

Raynor,  in  charge  during  Mr.  Mainwaring's  ab- 
sence, wrote  out  a  telegram  to  Lieut.  Col.  Goethals 
informing  him  of  what  had  happened.  Merritt, 
who  was  aching  for  something  to  do,  volunteered 
to  take  it  to  the  little  telegraph  office  by  the  rail- 
road track;  for  the  head  official  of  the  canal  was 
in  Colon  inspecting  the  work  there,  having  left 
the  day  before  in  his  private  car. 

Mr.  Raynor,  perhaps  seeing  that  Merritt 
would  feel  better  with  some  employment  to  take 
his  mind  off  his  worry,  readily  consented.  The 
Boy  Scout  set  out  at  once.  As  he  went  he  looked 
6ack  at  the  distant  peaks  several  times.  The 
lightning  was  playing  a  witches'  dance  above 
them,  and  he  thought  with  a  pang  of  those  near 
and  dear  to  him  who  might  be  wandering  at  that 
very  moment  among  them. 

The  operator  at  the  Gatun  station  was  a  talka- 
tive chap  and  he  chatted  to  Merritt  while  he 
waited  for  an  open  wire.  He  told  him  that  he 
had  had  a  busy  evening  and  grumbled  quizzically 


THE   BOY    SCOUTS 
at  his  own  good  nature  in  trying  to  please  other 
people. 

"Why,  only  half  an  hour  ago,"  he  said,  "a  chap, 
a  young  American,  I  guess,  was  in  here  and  bor- 
rowed two  of  my  batteries.  Said  he  was  ex- 
perimenting. Well,  I  knew  him  by  sight  and 
1  let  him  have  'em.  What's  the  result?  I've 
had  to  charge  two  more  and  the  line  don't  work 
as  good." 

Merritt  only  half  listened  to  the  voluble 
operator's  relation  of  his  troubles.  But  presently 
he  looked  up  languidly  as  the  operator  said 
brusquely : 

"Why,  here's  the  chap  coming  back  now. 
Well,  if  he's  after  any  more  batteries  he  don't 
get  'em." 

A  footfall  sounded  on  the  platform  outside,  the 
door  opened  and  in  came  a  man  at  sight  of  whom 
Merritt  almost  fell  off  his  chair.  It  was  the 
young  man  that  he  had  seen  in  the  barn  with 
Jared  and  with  whom  the  latter  had  driven  to 
the  station  the  night  of  the  fire  in  Hampton. 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  289 

Merritt  was  sitting  back  in  a  corner.  For  the 
sake  of  coolness,  there  was  only  one  lamp  in  the 
place,  a  shaded  one  above  the  operator's  table. 
A  pile  of  boxes  stood  close  to  Merritt  and  he 
slipped  in  behind  them.  He  had  reasons  of  his 
own  for  not  wanting  to  be  seen  just  then. 

"No  more  batteries,"  began  the  operator  trucu- 
lently as  the  stranger  came  in.  But  the  other 
laughed. 

"It's  not  batteries  this  time,"  he  said  with  a 
slightly  foreign  accent.  "It's  a  telegram  I  want 
to  send." 

"Oh,  that's  different.  There's  one  ahead  of 
you,  though." 

"All  right;  there  is  no  hurry.  I'll  write  mine 
out  now." 

The  man  sat  down  and  rapidly  wrote  on  a 
sending  blank.  He  handed  it  in.  The  operator 
looked  at  it  a  minute  and  then  handed  it  back. 

"Sorry;  I  can't  take  it." 

"Why  not?    I  can  pay  you." 

The  man  drew  out  a  roll  of  bills. 


290  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

"That's  not  it.  Your  message  is  in  cipher  and 
we  are  not  allowed  to  take  such  telegrams  in  the 
zone." 

"Whose  orders?" 

"Lieut.  Col.  Goethals  and  the  U.  S.  Govern- 
ment." 

"Curse  them  both,"  ground  out  the  strangef 
angrily.  The  operator  jumped  to  his  feet. 

"See  here,  friend,"  he  said,  "I'm  an  American 
and  I  think  Goethals  is  a  mighty  fine  man,  too. 
See  the  point?  There's  the  door.  Now  get! 
I'm  blamed  sorry  I  lent  you  those  batteries,  but 
I'd  rather  you  didn't  return  them  than  come 
back." 

Without  a  word  the  man  turned  and  half  slunk 
out  of  the  door.  As  he  passed  close  by  Merritt, 
the  Boy  Scout  heard  him  mutter : 

"Yes,  and  you  and  all  Yankees  will  be  sorrier 
yet  before  morning." 

Merritt  looked  around.  There  was  an  open 
door  behind  him.  Quick  as  a  flash  he  slipped 
through  it  and  the  next  moment  was  following 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  291 

the  man  through  a  clump  of  bananas  that  grew 
on  each  side  of  the  road.  Dodging  among  the 
broad  leaves  Merritt  kept  his  quarry  in  sight  and 
stuck  close  to  his  heels.  The  man  walked  on 
and  then  suddenly  turned  aside  from  the  main 
road  that  led  back  to  the  "gold-men's"  quarters 
and  headed  down  into  a  sort  of  wild  gully  run- 
ning to  the  river. 

With  Merritt  close  on  his  heels  and  blessing- 
the  shrubs  that  grew  at  the  path-side,  the  man, 
quite  unconscious  that  anyone  was  on  his  tracks, 
kept  on.  At  length  he  came  to  a  more  or  less 
tumble-down  hut  not  far  from  the  river  bank. 

He  paused  here  a  minute  and  gave  three  low 
whistles.  In  response  out  came  an  old  negro. 

"Dis  funny  time  ob  night  to  call  ?"  said  the  old 
darky  questioningly. 

"This  is  a  good  time  of  night  to  call,"  said 
the  man  with  a  peculiar  emphasis.  To  Merritt 
it  sounded  as  if  the  words  just  spoken  were  a  sort 
of  countersign.  At  any  rate  nothing  more  was 


292  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

said.     The  old  negro  admitted  the  stranger  to 

the  hut  and  closed  the  door. 

"Now  what  sort  of  work  is  on  foot,"  muttered 
Merritt  to  himself.  "What  mischief  are  those 
rascals  up  to?  It's  all  most  mysterious.  This 
fellow  whom  weVe  seen  with  Jared  first  borrows 
electric  batteries  and  then  tries  to  send  a  cipher 
message.  I  can't  make  it  out." 

He  stood  a  moment  irresolute  as  to  what  course 
to  pursue.  Should  he  go  back  and  tell  Mr. 
Raynor  what  he  had  discovered?  But  the  next 
minute  he  decided  not  to.  After  all  he  had  no 
proof;  he  would  try  to  peep  into  the  hut 
and  see  what  was  going  on.  Cautiously  he  re- 
connoitered,  completely  circling  the  hut.  But 
not  a  gleam  of  light  was  visible. 

Bit  by  bit  he  crept  closer,  using  the  utmost 
caution.  At  length  he  got  close  to  the  rear  wall 
and  here,  to  his  huge  delight,  he  found  a  crack 
through  which  he  could  peer  at  what  was  going 
on  within.  What  he  saw  made  his  heart  leap. 
Round  a  table  were  seated  Estrada,  Alverado,  the 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  293 

strange  man  and  Jared  Applegate.  Jared's  face 
was  white  and  frightened  but  the  others  wore 
a  sort  of  deadly  composure.  In  the  background 
stood  the  old  darky  who  had  opened  the  door. 
On  the  table  was  a  smoky  kerosene  lamp. 

But  on  the  table  also  were  some  objects  that 
puzzled  Merritt.  There  was  a  brass  lever,  not 
unlike  a  telegraph  key,  and  by  it  an  array  of 
batteries  with  wires  leading  from  them.  The 
strange  man  was  seated  near  the  brass  key,  with 
which  he  was  toying  carelessly,  and  yet  with  a 
certain  caution. 

"Be  careful/'  Alverado  was  warning  him, 
"don't  be  premature,  my  dear  Castro;  in  your 
eagerness  you  have  already  broken  two  bat- 
teries." 

"Yes,  but  the  accommodating  station  agent  re- 
placed them.  Ha!  ha!  if  he  had  known  what 
they  were  for!  But  he  wouldn't  handle  cipher, 
confound  him!" 

"That  was  the  order  of  these  hated  Yankees. 
Bnt  after  to-night  we  shall  triumph  over  them. 


294  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

One  touch  of  that  key  in  the  right  direction 

and " 

Estrada,  who  was  speaking,  spread  his  hands 
expressively.  The  others'  eyes  blazed;  only 
Jared  cowered  and  looked  badly  frightened. 

"Why  can't  you  put  it  off  till  I  get  out  of  the 
country?"  he  begged. 

"So  we  would  have,  because  of  the  service  you 
did  us  in  showing  us  where  to  place  the — the  little 
matter  you  know  of.  But  you  have  been  well 
rewarded.  Why  repine?  As  for  putting  it  off, 
what  time  like  the  present?  Mainwaring  is  away 
and  those  cursed  little  rats  of  spies,  Boy  Scouts, 
as  you  call  them,  are  with  him.  We  are  safe." 

But  Jared  only  cowered  and  quivered  the  more. 
As  for  Alverado,  who  had  uttered  the  words  just 
recorded,  he  lit  a  fresh  cigarette  and  regarded  the 
whining  youth  with  scorn. 

Merritt's  blood  almost  froze  as  he  looked  on 
at  this  strange  scene.  He  had  a  quick  mind,  and 
from  almost  the  first  he  had  guessed  what  that 
paraphernalia  on  the  table  meant,  what  the 


AT   THE    PANAMA    CANAL  295 

"patriots,"  as  they  doubtless  called  themselves, 
were  waiting  for.  But  the  Boy  Scout  did  not 
wait.  He  ran,  as  if  on  wings,  from  that  hut  in 
the  hollow,  his  pulses  beating  like  snare  drums 
and  a  fearful  doubt  assailing  his  mind. 

"Would  he  be  too  late?"  That  was  the  fear 
that  pounded  at  Merritt's  brain  as  he  raced  along 
for  the  "gold-men's"  row  of  houses.  At  the 
summit  of  the  little  hill,  leading  up  from  the 
hollow  of  the  hut,  he  stumbled  over  something, 
something  that  entangled  his  foot.  He  leaned 
to  examine  it  and  then  gave  an  astonished  cry. 
The  next  moment  he  had  whipped  out  his  scout 
knife  and  cut  his  foot  loose  of  the  encumbrance. 
After  that  for  some  reason  he  went  more  slowly, 
taut  still  he  ran,  ran  to  summon  aid  for  Uncle 
Sam  against  a  gang  of  foul  plotters. 

.....••• 

Half  an  hour  later  the  scene  in  the  hut  was 
not  much  changed,  but  a  tense  silence  had  fallen 
over  its  inmates.  On  every  face  was  a  strained, 
anxious  look,  yet  underlaid  by  an  expression  of 


296  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

exultation.  Jared  alone  was  missing.  In  an 
agony  of  fear  and  remorse  he  had  broken  from 
the  hut  a  short  time  before.  They  had  not  tried 
to  check  him. 

"Ready  ?"  said  Estrada,  who  held  a  watch.  He 
was  deadly  pale. 

The  strange  young  man  by  the  table  shoved 
back  a  stray  lock  of  black  hair  with  long,  thin 
fingers.  One  hand  trembled  on  that  brass  key 
that  Merritt  had  noticed. 

"Let  the  invader !  the  usurper !  the  tyrant  take 
warning  from  to-night !"  cried  Alverado  solemn- 
ly in  a  declamatory  tone. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  crash  outside.  The 
door  was  carried  inward  off  its  hinges.  A  crowd 
of  men,  in  the  uniform  of  the  Gatun  police,  burst 
into  the  room. 

"Seize  that  man !"  cried  Mr.  Raynor,  who  was 
in  the  lead.  He  pointed  to  the  strange  young 
man  whose  fingers  were  already  pressing  the 
key  downward. 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  297 

"Betrayed!"  shrieked  Alverado  as  a  revolver 
was  knocked  upward  out  of  his  hand. 

The  police,  taking  no  chances  after  this,  sprang 
forward  toward  the  man  at  the  key  with  leveled 
weapons. 

"Surrender!"  they  called  out. 

"Not  till  I've  blown  Uncle  Sam's  work  to 
Kingdom  Come !"  cried  the  wretch  with  a  hideous 
laugh. 

His  fingers  pressed  the  key.  But  no  earth- 
shaking  explosion  followed.  The  tons  of  dyna- 
mite that  had  been  cunningly  concealed  in  a  spill- 
way half  a  mile  off  did  not  explode.  The  Gatun 
Dam  was  not  hoisted  skyward  and  the  work  of 
years  ruined. 

There  was  only  a  feeble  "click,"  echoed  by  two 
more  as  the  handcuffs  were  snapped  on  Alverado 
and  Estrada. 

Mr.  Raynor  fairly  embraced  Merritt  and  the 
rest  crowded  round  him. 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  my  boy,  and  your 
presence  of  mind  in  guessing  what  that  wire  was 


298  THE    BOY    SCOUTS 

you  stumbled  across  and  cutting  it,  the  dam  might 

I 
have  been  blown   up   in   accordance   with   this 

wretch's  desires,"  he  declared,  and  then,  as  the 
miscreant,  who  had  in  vain  tried  to  send  the 
fatal  spark  to  the  dynamite,  was  made  a  prisoner, 
Mr.  Raynor  raised  his  voice: 

"Three  cheers  for  the  Boy  Scouts!"  he  cried, 
"and  in  particular  for  Merritt  Crawford  of  the 
Eagles.  Had  it  not  been  for  his  quick  wits  in 
guessing  that  a  plot  was  on  foot  when  he  saw 
that  wretch  yonder  at  the  Gatun  station,  this 
might  have  been  a  black  night  for  Uncle  Sam 
and  the  Panama  Canal." 

The  cheers  were  given  with  right  good  will. 
Soon  afterward  the  prisoners,  including  the  old 
black  man,  were  marched  off  to  the  lock-up  main- 
tained at  Gatun  for  offenders  on  the  canal  work, 
although,  it  is  safe  to  say,  it  never  before  housed 
such  monsters  as  the  would-be  dynamiters  of  the 
Gatun  Dam. 

"If  only  the  rest  were  here  and  safe,"  said 
Merritt  to  Mr.  Raynor  late  that  night,  "I  should 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  299 

be  perfectly  happy.    As  it  is  I  don't  feel  as  if  I 
could  rest  till  we  are  reunited." 

It  was  the  next  day  that  the  entire  community, 
already  wild  with  excitement  over  the  discovery 
of  the  plot  against  the  dam  and  the  capture  of 
the  chief  conspirators,  was  treated  to  a  fresh 
thrill.  Down  the  river,  which  had  somewhat 
subsided,  came  two  canoes.  In  the  first  one  were 
Rob  and  Mr.  Mainwaring.  In  the  second  sat 
Tubby  and  Fred.  How  they  had  met  is  soon  ex- 
plained. 

As  Tubby  had  guessed,  the  river  they  had  seen 
from  the  ruins  was  the  Chepalta.  Its  swift  cur- 
rent had  carried  them  into  the  Chagres  itself 
and  in  course  of  time  they  came  to  the  spot  where 
Mr.  Mainwaring  and  Fred,  sadly  distressed  and 
worried  over  the  loss  of  the  launch,  had  decided 
to  spend  the  night.  They  had  built  a  roaring  fire 
to  keep  off  serpents  or  wild  beasts,  and  Tubby 
and  Fred,  as  soon  as  they  saw  the  blaze,  had 
made  for  it.  In  a  few  seconds  a  joyful  reunion 


300  THE   BOY   SCOUTS 

had  taken  place.  As  more  sleep  that  night  was 
out  of  the  question,  they  had  waited  till  the  first 
flush  of  dawn  and  then  emptied  one  of  the  pro- 
vision canoes.  In  this  Mr.  Mainwaring  and  Rob 
seated  themselves  and  they  all  paddled  back  to 
civilization. 

Their  amazement  when  they  heard  of  what  had 
been  taking  place  at  Gatun  during  their  absence 
may  be,  to  use  a  phrase  hackneyed  but  apt, 
"better  imagined  than  described."  There  is  no 
space  here  to  relate  all  that  followed  or  to  give 
the  details  of  the  trial  and  sentencing  of  the 
rascally  plotters.  It  was  found,  for  they  con- 
fessed in  hope  of  immunity,  that  the  plot  was 
far  more  widely  organized  than  had  been  thought. 
Dozens  of  laborers  were  implicated  before  the 
end,  and  it  was  the  number  engaged  that  had 
made  it  possible  for  them  to  elude  the  vigilance 
of  the  Gatun  Guards,  secrete  so  much  dynamite 
and  then  connect  it  with  wires  to  the  lonely  hut 
in  the  hollow.  As  for  the  strange  young  man, 
it  was  found  that  he  had  been  a  chemist  specializ- 


AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL  301 

ing  on  explosives,  who  had  thought  to  avenge 
his  country's  fancied  wrongs  by  enlisting  with  the 
plotters. 

Had  it  not  been  for  Merritt,  who  received  the 
personal  congratulations  of  Col.  Goethals  and 
the  Commission,  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  the 
great  dam  might  have  been  damaged  almost  be- 
yond hope  of  reconstruction.  The  boy  bore  his 
honors  modestly,  as  became  a  true  Scout,  and  of 
course  the  story  did  not  get  to  the  newspapers,  so 
that  he  was  spared  the  embarrassment  of  being 
interviewed  and  lionized.  His  comrades  felt  for 
him  nothing  but  pride  and  admiration. 

Those  pebbles  that  Tubby  picked  up  proved  to 
be  raw  emeralds  of  great  value  and  you  may  be 
sure  that  each  of  his  friends  was  presented  with 
one.  The  chums  of  Lucy  Mainwaring,  too,  have 
noticed  that  she  now  wears  a  brooch  set  with  a 
magnificent  emerald,  by  which  she  seems  to  set 
great  store.  Who  gave  it  to  her  we  will  leave  our 
readers  to  guess. 

Jared   Applegate   managed   in   some   way   to 


302  THE   BOY    SCOUTS 

evade  the  drag-net  set  for  him,  and  has  not  been 
seen  or  heard  of  since  the  night  he  slipped  out 
of  the  hut  overcome  at  the  last  minute  by  the 
thought  of  the  terrible  crime  he  had  committed. 

I  should  like  to  linger  with  you  in  this  fascinat- 
ing old  land  with  its  new  interests  and  tell  you 
how  the  ruined  city  in  which  Tubby  and  Fred 
passed  such  an  uncomfortable  time  was  explored 
and  rare  treasures  of  antiquity  found.  I  should 
also  like  to  relate  more  of  the  adventures  that 
befell  the  chums  among  the  "Gold-men"  of  the 
Isthmus,  but  I  must  content  myself  with  what  has 
been  written  and  my  readers  with  the  prophecy 
that  the  future  will  be  able  to  recall  no  more  noble 
achievement  than  this  that  has  been  the  subject 
of  our  tale. 

You  are  assured,  however,  that  the  Boy  Scouts 
returned  to  their  studies  and  to  the  States  better 
citizens,  better  patriots  and  better  Scouts  for  the 
exciting  times  they  spent  on  Uncle  Sam's  big 
ditch — the  eighth  wonder,  and  the  greatest  of  the 


AT    THE    PANAMA    CANAL  303 

world.  Let  every  American  boy,  who  gets  a 
chance,  see  it.  It  will  strengthen  and  cement  his 
love  for  the  Stars  and  Stripes  and  for  the  U.  S. 
A.,  the  country  that  put  the  gigantic  enterprise 
through  in  spite  of  almost  overwhelming  diffi- 
culties. 

And  now  the  time  has  come  to  say  good-bye  to 
the  Boy  Scouts.  So  wishing  them  well  in  every- 
thing they  undertake  and  hoping  that  they  may 
ever  be  "good  scouts  and  true,"  the  author  bids 
a  reluctant  adieu  to  them  and  to  the  readers  who 
have  followed  the  "Eagles"  through  their  many 
adventures. 


END 


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bookstore  or  sent  to  the  Publishers, 
receive  prompt  attention. 


BOY  SCOUT  SERIES 

By  LIEUT.  HOWARD  PAYSON 

A  lively,  interesting  series  of  stories  of  travel,  life  in  camp, 
hunting,  hiking,  sports  and  adventure.  No  boy  should  miss 
these  tales  of  self-reliance,  resourcefulness  and  courage,  in 
which  every  enjoyment  known  to  scout  activity  is  accurately 
depicted. 

Attractively  Bound  in  Cloth. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  OF  THE  EAGLE  PATROL 

A  speed  boat  race  and  an  old  sea  captain  give  the  Eagle 
Patrol  a  busy  summer. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  ON  THE  RANGE 

Rob  Blake  and  his  friends  among  the  cowboys  and  Indians 
in  Arizona. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  AND  THE  ARMY  AIRSHIP 

The  Hampton  Academy  boys  discover  a  plot  to  steal  Govern- 
ment airplane  plans. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  MOUNTAIN  CAMP 

The  Boy  Scouts  find  a  band  of  "Moonshiners,"  a  lost  cave 
and  a  hidden  fortune. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  FOR  UNCLE  SAM 

The  trial  trip  of  a  new  submarine,  a  strange  derelict  and  a 
treasure  hunt. 
THE  BOY  SCOUTS  AT  THE  PANAMA  CANAL 

Hunting  and  exploring  in  the  tangled  forests  of  Panama. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  UNDER  FIRE  IN  MEXICO 

Searching  for  General  Villa  in  War-torn  Mexico. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  ON  BELGIAN  BATTLEFIELDS 

Between  the  lines  in  Belgium,  during  the  World  War. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  WITH  THE  ALLIES  IN 
FRANCE 

Raiding  Uhlans,  spies1  and  air-raids  in  War- wrecked  France. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  AT  THE  PANAMA-PACIFIC 
EXPOSITION 

The   adventures  of  four  scouts   at   the  Exposition   in  San 
Francisco. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS  UNDER  SEALED  ORDERS 

The  Boy   Scouts'   exciting  experiences  while   searching   for 
stolen  Government  property. 

THE  BOY  SCOUTS'  CAMPAIGN  FOR 
PREPAREDNESS 

The  Eagle  Patrol  on  duty  in  a  Government  munition  plant. 

For  Sale  by  All  Booksellers,  or  Sent  Postpaid  on  Receipt  of  Price 
by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 

114-120  EAST  23d  STREET  NEW  YORK 


The 

Golden  Boys 
Series 


BY  L.  P.  WYMAN,  PH.D. 

Dean  of  Pennsylvania  Military  College. 

A  new  series  of  instructive  copyright  stories  for 
boys  of  High  School  Age. 

Handsome  Cloth  Binding. 
PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 


BOYS  AND  THEIR  NEW  ELECTRIC 

BOYS  AT  THE  FORTRESS 
BOYS  IN  THE  MAINE  WOODS 
BOYS  WITH  THE  LUMBER  JACKS 
BOYS  RESCUED  BY  RADIO 
BOYS  ALONG  THE  RIVER  ALLA- 

BOYS  AT  THE  HAUNTED  CAMP 
BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER  DRIVE 
BOYS  SAVE  THE  CHAMBERLAIN 


THE  GOLDEN 
CELL 

THE  GOLDEN 
THE  GOLDEN 
THE  GOLDEN 
THE  GOLDEN 

THE  GOLDEN 
GASH 

THE  GOLDEN 
THE  GOLDEN 

THE  GOLDEN 
DAM 

THE  GOLDEN  BOYS  ON  THE  TRAIL 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  114-120  E.  23d  St.,  NEW  YORK 


The  Boy  Allies 

(Registered     In     the     United     State* 
Patent  Office) 

With  the  Army 

BY  CLAIR  W.  HAYES 


For  Boys  12  to  16  Years. 
All  Cloth  Bound      Copyright  Titles 


In  this  series  we  follow  the  fortunes  of  two  American  lads 
unable  to  leave  Europe  after  war  is  declared.     They  meet  the 
soldiers  of  the  Allies,  and  decide  to  cast  their  lot  with  them. 
Their  experiences  and  escapes  are  many,  and  furnish  plenty  of 
good,  healthy  action  that  eyery  boy  loves. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  AT  LIEGE;  or,  Through  Lines  of  Steel. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  ON  THE  FIRING  LINE;  or,  Twelve  Days' 

Battle  Along  the  Marne. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  WITH  THE  COSSACKS;  or,  A  Wild  Dash 

Over  the  Carpathians. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  IN  THE  TRENCHES;  OP,  Midst  Shot  and 

Shell  Along  the  Aisrve. 
THE   BOY  ALLIES  IN   GREAT  PERIL;  OP,   With   the   Italian 

Army  in  the  Alps. 
THE    BOY    ALLIES    IN   THE    BALKAN   CAMPAIGN;   OP,   The 

Struggle  to  Save  a  Nation. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  ON  THE  SOMME;  OP,  Courage  and  Bravery 

Rewarded, 
i  THE  BOY  ALLIES  AT  VERDUN;  OP,  Saving  France  from  the 

Enemy. 
THE   BOY  ALLIES  UNDER  THE  STARS  AND  STRIPES;  OP, 

Leading  the  American  Troops  to  the  Firing  Line. 
THE    BOY    ALLIES    WITH     HAIG    IN    FLANDERS;    OP,    The 
Fighting  Canadians  of  Vlmy  Ridge. 

I  THE  BOY  ALLIES  WITH   PERSHING  IN  FRANCE;  OP,  OveP 
the  Top  at  Chateau  Thierry. 
THE  BOY  ALLIES  WITH   MARSHAL  FOCH;  or,  The  Closing 
Days  of  the  Great  World  War. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the 
Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY 

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The  Boy  Allies 

(Registered  in  the  United  States 
Patent  Office) 

With  the  Navy 


BY 
ENSIGN  ROBERT  L.  DRAKE 

For  Boys  12  to  16  Years. 
All  Cloth  Bound       Copyright  Title* 

PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 
Postage  lOc  Extra 

Frank  Chadwick  and  Jack  Templeton,  young  American  lads, 
meet  each  other  in  an  unusual  way  soon  after  the  declaration 
of  war.  Circumstances  place  them  on  board  the  British  cruiser, 
"The  Sylph,"  and  from  there  on,  they  share  adventures  with 
the  sailors  of  the  Allies.  Ensign  Robert  L.  Drake,  the  author. 
Is  an  experienced  naval  officer,  and  he  describes  admirably  tha 
many  exciting  adventures  of  the  two  boys. 

THE  BOY  ALLIES  ON  THE  NORTH  SEA  PATROL;  or,  Strik- 
ing the  First  Blow  at  the  German  Fleet. 

THE    BOT    ALLIES    UNDER    TWO    FLAGS;    or.    Sweeping    th« 
Enemy  from  the  Sea. 

THE  BOY  ALLIES  WITH  THE  FLTINO  SQUADRON;   or.  The 
Naval  Raiders  of  the  Great  War. 

THE  BOY   ALLIES   WITH   THE   TERROR   OF   THE   SEA;    or. 

The  Last  Shot  of   Submarine   D-16. 

THE    BOY    ALLIES     UNDER    THE    SEA;    or.    The    Vanish inr 
Submarine. 

THE   BOY   ALLIES   IN   THE   BALTIC;    or,   Through    Field*   «f 
Ice  to  Aid  the  Czar. 

THE    BOY    ALLIES    AT    JUTLAND;    or,    The    Greatest    Naval 
Battle  of  History. 

THE  BOY  ALLIES  WITH  UNCLE  SAM'S  CRUISERS;  or.  Con- 
voying  the  American  Army  Across  the  Atlantic. 

THE   BOY    ALLIES    WITH    THE    SUBMARINE    D-38 ;    or,    Tha 
Fall  ot  the  Russian  Empire. 

THE    BOY    ALLIES    WITH    THE    VICTORIOUS    FLEETS;    or, 
The  Fall  of  the  German  Navy. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  114-120  E.  23d  St,  NEW  YORK 


The 

Radio  Boys 
Series 

BY  GERALD  BRECKENRIDGE 

A  new  series  of  copyright  titles  for 
boys  of  all  ages. 

Cloth  Bound,  with  Attractive  Cover  Designs 
PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 


THE  RADIO  BOYS  ON  THE  MEXICAN  BORDER 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  ON  SECRET  SERVICE  DUTY 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  WITH  TH*3*  REVENUE  GUARDS 

THE    RADIO    BOYS'    SEARv*_    /OR   THE    INCA'S 
TREASURE 

THE  RADIO  BOYS  RESCUE  THE  LOST  ALASKA 
EXPEDITION 

THE  RADIO  BOYS  IN  DARKEST  AFRICA 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  SEEK  THE  LOST  ATLANTIS 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  WITH  THE  BORDER  PATROL 
THE  RADIO  BOYS  AS  SOLDIERS  OF  FORTUNE 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  114-120  E.  23d  St.,  NEW  YORK 


9&lakwoodBoy3 
on  the  * 
toy  S 


The 

Lakewood 
Boys  Series 


By  L.  P.  WYMAN,  Ph.  D. 

A  new  series  of  copyright  stories  for  boys  of 
High  School  Age  by  the  Author  of  "The  Golden 
Boys  Series." 

Cloth  Bound  with  Attractive  Cover  Designs. 

PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 


THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  ON  THE  LAZY  S 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  AND  THE  LOST 

MINE 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  IN  THE  FROZEN 
NORTH 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  AND  THE  POLO 
PONIES 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  IN  THE  SOUTH  SEA 
ISLANDS 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  IN  MONTANA 

THE  LAKEWOOD  BOYS  IN  THE  AFRICAN 
JUNGLE 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  114-120  E.  23d  St.,  NEW  YORK 


Border  Boys 
Series 


By  Fremont  B.  Deering 
Mexican  and  Canadian  Frontier  Stories  for  Boys 


12  to  16  Years. 


PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 

With  Individual  Jackets  in  Colors. 
Cloth  Bound 


BORDER  BOYS  ON  THE  TRAIL 
BORDER  BOYS  ACROSS  THE  FRONTIER 

BORDER  BOYS  WITH  THE  MEXICAN 
RANGERS 

BORDER  BOYS  WITH  THE  TEXAS  RANGERS 
BORDER  BOYS  IN  THE  CANADIAN  ROCKIES 

BORDER  BOYS  ALONG  THE  ST.  LAWRENCE 
RIVER 


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THE  RANGER 
BOYS  * 

TO  THE  RESCUE 


The 

Ranger  Boys 
Series 


BY  CLAUDE  H.  LA  BELLE 

A  new  series  of  copyright  titles  for  Boys  12  to  Id 
years  telling  of  the  adventures  of  three  boys  with 
the  Forest  Rangers  in  the  state  of  Maine. 

Handsome  Cloth  Binding. 
PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 


THE  RANGER  BOYS  TO  THE  RESCUE 
THE  RANGER  BOYS  FIND  THE  HERMIT 


THE  RANGER  BOYS  OUTWIT  THE  TIMBER 
THIEVES 

THE  RANGER  BOYS  AND  THEIR  REWARD 


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FRANK 

ARMSTRONG 
SERIES 

By  MATTHEW  M.  COLTON 

Six  Exceptional  Stories  of  College  Life,  Describ- 
ing Athletics  from  Start  to  Finish.  For  Boys  10  to 
15  Years. 

PRICE,  50  CENTS  EACH 

POSTAGE  lOc  EXTRA 

Cloth  Bound 
With  Attractive  Jackets  in  Colors. 


FRANK  ARMSTRONG'S  VACATION 
FRANK  ARMSTRONG  AT  QUEENS 
FRANK  ARMSTRONG'S  SECOND  TERM 
FRANK  ARMSTRONG,  DROP  KICKER 

FRANK  ARMSTRONG,  CAPTAIN  OF  THE 
NINE 

FRANK  ARMSTRONG  AT  COLLEGE 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  on  receipt  of  price  by  the  Publishers 

A.  L.  BURT  COMPANY,  114-120  E.  23d  St.,  NEW  YOR5 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


ilium  minium 
A     000  057  872    4 


